Pipe and drape is a style of freestanding panelling used to divide, hide, and/or decorate a space temporarily. The structure consists of aluminum or steel

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accomp ...

fixed or adjustable telescoping vertical uprights supported by a weighted steel base, and adjustable telescopic or fixed horizontals that provide a drape support frame with removable drape panels. When the system is used for exhibition purposes and used instead of the traditional shell scheme option, build time and breakdown time is significantly reduced. Pipe and drape is a way of adding colour to what would normally be a plain backdrop.
Fred E. Hahn, Tom Davis, Bob Killian, Ken Magill, "Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion,2nd Ed." John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken NJ, 2003, page 2. Retrieved July 8, 2009 Often used in

trade show A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...

booths, in tents, in large banquet halls, and on stage, pipe and drape covers up the distracting features of the less appealing wall or window behind it. Pipe and drape is freestanding, so it can be used as a

room divider In a building or a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure. The entrance connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors. The space is ...

, exhibition

curtain A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain) water. Curtains are often hung on the inside of a building's windows to block the passage of light. For instan ...

backdrape, a stage theatrical backdrop, a catering aisle drape, or drape partitions. Pipe and drape is used frequently with

home staging Home staging is the preparation of a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. ...

, weddings, fashion shows,

concerts A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a Creativity, creative flair, an ...

, in the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

, and on-set in

television programs A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...

and

movies A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

Drapes

Drape must be "pleated" or installed with folds for a finished look. Typically 1.5-ft to 2.0 ft of drape is used for each running foot to be covered. The industry standard fabric for trade show drapery is Banjo. Banjo is a dobby-weave fabric made from a medium-sheen polyester yarn. It is inherently flame resistant and machine washable. Inherent flame resistance means the flame retardant characteristics will not fade with washing. Booths require two different sizes of drape: 8’ long drape which hangs between 8’ high uprights and 3’ long drape which hangs between 3’ uprights and the 3’ slot on 8’ uprights. The industry standard for trade show drapery is for the drapes to be two inches shorter than the height of the upright. A typical 8’ Banjo drape is actually 94” in finished height with 4” pockets on top and bottom. This prevents the drape from hanging on the floor and allows the panel to be flipped over when the bottom is soiled or damaged.

Construction

The simplest and most common method of hanging drape panels is using a pipe pocket where the drape is simply sleeved over the pipe. Uprights, as noted, are typically aluminum tubing, fixed or telescopic, with heights from 3’ to 26’. Fixed Uprights refer to one piece vertical pipes that cannot break down in to smaller sections or otherwise adjust in height. Telescopic Uprights refer to two piece vertical pipes that are adjustable in height between a designated range (for example, 6 feet to 10 feet tall), allowing for more versatility if different events require varying heights. Uprights are supported by steel bases weighing from 6 to 62 lb. The ground support system is enhanced by the addition of sand bags or stage weights added to further counterbalance the height and weight of the drapes hung on the pipe system. The horizontals can also be fixed or telescopic. Fixed horizontal supports range from 1’ to 10’, whereas a telescopic drape support, also known as a slider, can range from 2’-3’ to 9’-16’. Horizontal supports are held in place by small metal hooks permanently mounted to each end of the pipe. The hooks are then placed into a slot on the upright and held in place by gravity, thereby making the pipe and drape support system. In order to create longer, wider walls of pipe and drape, multiple sections of drape and horizontals are lined up by the uprights having multiple slots and the horizontals going in two opposite directions. Thus, sequential sections of pipe and drape panels make up the wall of drape. Another method of hanging drape is using a theatrical tie-on method. Drape tie methods used may be a standard grommet and tie, where the tie and grommet hole are visible unless a clove hitch is used, and once tied, the drape ties must be rolled to hide the ties from the audience side of the drape. Blind ties are another drape top finish that allows for drapes to be tied to a pipe without the audience seeing the grommets and ties. Just like uprights and horizontals, drape panels come in any number of heights, widths, colors, and types of fabric. Drape panels range from an affordable American polyester tradeshow drape known as Banjo to a thick, luxurious Broadway theatre-style

Velour Velour, occasionally velours, is a plush, knits, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvet or velveteen. It can be made from polyester, spandex, cotton, or a cotton-polyester blend. Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including ...

. Banjo is the most basic fabric typically used in single fabric widths added together to create fullness. Whereas, higher-quality fabrics are typically single fabric widths sewn together to create larger continuous drape panels that are made to be sleeved on a single horizontal. The use of Pipe and Drape to temporarily alter the look of a space continues to be a common, practical method.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pipe And Drape Fences Interior design Stagecraft

Drapes

Construction

See also

References