Does Secondary Glazing Reduce Noise: Ten & Six Champagne Bar Case Study

The Challenge: Transforming a Historic Landmark into a Quiet Champagne Bar

Nestled within one of Shrewsbury's most iconic town centre buildings, Ten & Six champagne bar offers a beautifully designed space specialising in champagne and cocktails. With its adventurous Alice in Wonderland-inspired theme, it provides a unique and enchanting atmosphere.

However, this stylish spot wasn’t always a champagne bar, it was previously home to a gift shop called Jonathan’s. Transforming the classic Grade II listed building from a tranquil gift shop into a lively bar was no small feat. One of the primary challenges was ensuring the building retained its charm while addressing key needs: keeping the noise contained to respect nearby residents and maintaining a cosy, warm ambience for its customers.

What Is Secondary Glazing and Why Was it the Ideal Solution?

Secondary glazing involves installing a second window and is an affordable alternative to replacing double or triple glazed windows. This window acts as a fully independent internal window and is a separate unit consisting of single glazing within its own frame. Many choose this method to improve heat retention and sound reduction in their home. It also makes windows more secure, can be installed with minimal disruption and will last for many years to come.

Specifically designed for period-style buildings and recommended by Historic England, our slim and discreet secondary glazing is non-obtrusive and perfect for Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, and heritage properties, blending seamlessly with their surroundings while maintaining character and aesthetics.

Not only is secondary glazing ideal for period-style buildings due to its seamless aesthetics, but it was also the perfect solution for Ten & Six’s champagne bar thanks to its outstanding noise reduction and heat retention capabilities. Our secondary glazing reduces noise levels by up to 80% and minimizes heat loss by approximately 65%, making it a practical and efficient choice for both residential and commercial properties.

Acoustic Testing & Overcoming Unique Challenges

To ensure the secondary glazing would provide the necessary noise reduction for this unique setting, several acoustic tests were carried out to assess existing noise levels. The results confirmed that secondary glazing would be an effective solution for keeping the lively atmosphere of champagne drinkers contained within the building.

Next came the challenge of adapting the installation to suit the Grade II listed building’s distinctive characteristics. Its age, architectural details, and the visibly sloping angles of the street-facing bay windows all required careful consideration. A technical team conducted multiple site surveys to determine the optimal style, function, and installation approach. Their expertise ensured that the secondary glazing not only delivered exceptional performance but also blended seamlessly with the primary windows, remaining virtually unnoticeable.

Advance Shrewsbury's Sales Consultant Andy Fisher says: “A critical design element was to ensure that from the outside there is no obvious secondary glazing in place; so, the mullions of the interior secondary glazing had to be exactly in line with those of the primary windows.”

As is often the case in historic buildings, nothing is level. Andy explains: “Skilled carpenters created the timber scribing that follows the sloping lines of some of the windows to support the secondary glazing frames. Upstairs, the secondary glazing to the front two bay windows had to be made on an angle to fit the shape of the primary windows.”

The Results: Seamlessly Blending Performance and Appearance

Over the course of three days, the team at Advance Shrewsbury meticulously installed horizontal sliding and lift-out slimline aluminium frames in Matt White, with Van Dyke Brown powder-coated finishes on the ground floor, and primary timber single-glazed windows on the first floor.

The result? Stylish, high-performance windows that flawlessly blend aesthetics with functionality, ticking all the boxes:

• Preserving heritage features ✅
• Reducing noise ✅
• Improving thermal efficiency ✅
• Easy-to-remove units for cleaning ✅
• Secure and lockable ✅

Commenting on the final result, Ten & Six owner George Marneros says: “These windows are at awkward angles and thanks to Advance Shrewsbury, we overcame some significant challenges in a very old building. They did a great job. and the end result is fantastic.

“No one comes in and mentions the secondary glazing, which is serving its purpose. It’s exactly how you want it to be, it blends in and is virtually invisible!”

Final Thoughts

The Ten & Six project is a testament to how secondary glazing can transform a historic building without compromising its charm, all while delivering outstanding noise reduction and thermal efficiency. Whether you're looking to enhance the comfort of your business or upgrade your home, secondary glazing provides a practical, discreet, and effective solution.

At Advance Windows, we specialise in high-quality secondary glazing solutions, whether you need to preserve the character of a listed building or simply enhance noise reduction and thermal efficiency in your home. Whatever your needs, our expert team is here to help.

Get in touch with Advance today to discuss your secondary glazing options and discover how we can enhance your space.