Located within The University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the Usher Institute aims to transform health in society by working with people, populations, and data. The Usher Building houses the Usher Institute with its four core research centres and the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit – alongside partners from public, private and third sector organisations. Funded as part of the Data-Driven Innovation Initiative of the Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland City Region Deal, the facility has been designed by international design practice Hassell Studio to be a welcoming space for focus, collaboration, and engagement, with space for around 1000 occupants.

The lighting project was crucial to this mission. The objective was to create an environment conducive to health research and collaboration, utilising as few manufacturers as possible.

Designing a lighting system for the Usher Building, a complex and multifunctional facility, posed significant challenges. The aim was to install efficient lighting throughout the building, ensuring that office lighting worked with ceiling raft details and communal lighting matched the architectural finishes. The project demanded a seamless integration of lighting controls to provide efficiency, flexibility and additional functionality.

Delivered by Leon Gray, a TRILUX distributor, and installed by EMTEC Group with lighting design by Ainsley Cramer, the lighting scheme consisted of 400 custom-designed Sonnos downlights featuring a bronze and black RAL finish; these downlights blended perfectly with the building’s architectural metal finishes. Over 600 Solvan Flows, 300 Amatris, and numerous LED linear runs were installed, providing uniform and efficient lighting throughout the facility.

However, the star of the show was the LiveLink controls system, which offers numerous benefits: semi-automatic lighting with absence detection for maximum energy savings, multiple lighting scenes for dramatic effects in event spaces, push-button controls for on/off and dimming, simplified partition controls for flexible space usage, remote access for modifications and service checks, daylight controls with window row dimming to optimise energy efficiency, and extensive DALI networks across the building for comprehensive lighting management.

The new lighting solutions provided by TRILUX significantly enhance the Usher Building’s usability and aesthetic appeal. The efficient and well-integrated lighting systems support the facility’s goal of fostering interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The reflective spaces, such as the reading room and cellular meeting spaces, benefit from the custom lighting, creating an ideal environment for focused work and engagement. The lighting has also improved the overall atmosphere of the facility, making it a more inviting and productive space for its users.

“As a research and innovation institute focussed on health and social care, we wanted our Usher Building to be designed with wellbeing and efficiency at its heart – and for it to be a space that draws our team and collaborators together. Lots of natural light is complemented by flexible lighting from the TRILUX team to ensure we can work most effectively whatever the weather!

TRILUX’s lighting solutions have enhanced the Usher Building’s environment and contributed to a brighter, more connected, and healthier future for the researchers and partners working within this leading medical campus – power is combined in a proven management team – this creates good prospects for the future!” concluded Susan Buckingham, Head of Communications, Marketing and Engagement at the Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh.

The post TRILUX lights to inspire innovation, team interactions and automation appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

Having originally been performed on Broadway back in 1948, Kiss Me, Kate first appeared in the West End in 1951 and has subsequently been revived countless times over the years. One of the most recent revivals was the Drama Desk Award-winning 2019 Broadway revival – a show which Don also lit. Despite having worked so recently on another production, Don insists this had no bearing on the latest London show. He explains: “From our earliest creative conversations, I knew that Director Bart Sher and his creative team would be bringing a very different vision, so the lighting needed to follow suit. For starters, there’s an overriding meta-theatrical element that didn’t exist in the Broadway production, which completely shifted the visual paradigm. Bart also understood it was important to address the rather ‘old fashioned’ gender politics of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which is at the core of the show’s narrative, filtered through a 1940’s lens. He worked with the writer Bob Martin (with the consent of the Cole Porter and Spewack estates) to re-examine selected sections of the book; which, as a result, allows the entire show to feel more relatable to a contemporary audience”.

Explaining further his creative approach to the show, Don explains: “Kiss Me, Kate moves fluidly between the backstage environs of a theatre in 1940’s Baltimore and onstage, in mid-performance of a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. The full breadth of the Barbican’s performance space is revealed and in-play throughout the evening.  We tried to evoke a backstage environment that you might encounter if you actually walked into that Baltimore theatre almost 80 years ago. The light was crafted with a nod toward film noir: high contrast, sharp angles and deep shadows. In terms of the set, The Shrew’s scenic design felt very much like what you might encounter in a 1940’s era musical. It was largely composed of cream-coloured soft canvas flats, carried on and off by stagehands in the audience’s peripheral view. In contrast to the backstage world, the light in The Shrew is bright, colorful, kinetic and in no way attempts to fall in line with 1940’s production values. Given the meta-theatrical nature of this production, I felt we had permission to expand our vocabulary well beyond what would be considered ‘period’ lighting.

He adds: “Although I tried to work with a limited palette and scrupulously avoided movement effects, chases, and other more contemporary gestures in The Shrew musical numbers, I wasn’t shy about acknowledging the numerous brass stings, buttons, and other flourishes in Cole Porter’s amazing score.  I’ll also admit there were some iconic numbers in the show that were so spectacularly scored, choreographed and performed  (such as the Act Two opener “Too Darn Hot” and Bianca’s “Always True to You” ) that I felt compelled to depart from my self-imposed constraints and completely ‘let loose’. These were the moments that felt really satisfying for me and seemed to land most successfully with the audience”.

As is often the case with shows as ambitious as this, the design did change slightly once technical rehearsals and previews began. Don explains: “Whilst Bart was interested in rendering a dark, gritty, and atmospheric backstage environment for Kiss Me, Kate, once we began previews, it became clear that we needed to shift the dynamic toward a brighter, less ominous-feeling space. It was a welcome change of course and not too difficult to address. What proved to be more challenging was the late arrival of The Shrew set, both in pre-production and onstage at the Barbican. I had no pre-lighting time to develop a clear visual vocabulary before we were pressed to move very quickly through the show in what was a rather abbreviated (one week!) tech process. The Shrew scenes were definitely a work-in-progress,  and the lighting design continued to evolve over the course of the preview period. It was a hard slog, but I think we eventually arrived at a very good place”.

Knowing what he needed to achieve with his design, Don spoke to the Hire Team at WL to put together his lighting rig. He explains: “We used a variety of equipment to bring this production to life, ranging from the Barbican’s tungsten ellipsoidal inventory (for high-side light systems that delivered an ‘incandescent’ feel for the backstage scenes), to ETC Lustr 2 and Lustr 3 Series Profiles, which were crucial in expanding our high and low sidelight colour palette. There was also a variety of automated fixtures, including MAC Encore and MAC Ultra Profiles, MAC Quantum and MAC Aura XB Washlights, and ETC High End SolaFrame 2000s.

He continues: “The scenic design featured a large (roughly 15m diameter) revolve that contained three rather elaborate two-tiered settings, including dressing rooms, a backstage corridor, and the actual ‘stage’ space, that was seen in bare bones ‘rehearsal mode’ with the theatre walls exposed, or in ‘performance mode’, with The Shrew set in full play. Many scenes, musical numbers and transitions (the action is continuous) were performed with the turntable continually in motion. The automated lighting rig was crucial in addressing the multiple challenges that this cinematic staging presented”.

In regards to the continually revolving turntable on stage, this feature made Don realise early on into the design process that he would need to incorporate a large amount of onboard lighting to reveal these spaces and carve out the action. He comments: “We installed numerous set mounted practical sources, along with a variety of low-profile theatrical fixtures, such as Rosco Pica Cube 4Cs and MR16 Birdies, tucked into ceiling coves and hidden recesses. We also rigged several ‘overhead electrics’ which spanned the revolving ‘stage’ space, fitted with a variety of automated LED fixtures, including GLP Impression XBar 20s, MAC Aura XBs and SolaFrame 2000s. Given the limited amount of power available via a central commutator, I restricted all set-integrated and set-mounted theatrical lighting to LED based sources”.

Don concludes: “For Kiss Me, Kate, I’d like to acknowledge the great work of Lighting Programmer Nick Simmons, Production Electrician Pete Lambert and the Barbican Lighting Team, UK Associate LD Hector Murray and Associate LD Karen Spahn. I’m very proud of the work we were all able to put onstage, due in no small part to the stellar support we received from Andy Cullen and the WL team. They went above and beyond to deliver the tools we needed despite the limited budget and fast- track nature of the project.  They also stood right behind us as the design evolved and changes to the rig were required during the technical rehearsal and preview period – something we greatly appreciated”.

Photo courtesy of Kiss Me, Kate 2 © Johan Persson.

The post White Light is So In Love with Kiss Me, Kate appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

Both companies are owned by Czech Republic-based moving light and LED manufacturer, Robe lighting s.r.o.

This significant development will be mutually beneficial to both brands in Australia and New Zealand – and to the market as it signals a new period of opportunity for the region’s professional lighting industry.

It also brings these two renowned brands full circle. Although in robust competition for more than 30 years, the two enjoyed a successful partnership back in the 1980s, when LSC provided certain products under OEM license to Avolites.

Acquisition has changed the outlook once again.

As Robe businesses, both companies can now draw on each other’s strengths together with the resources and dynamics of the wider Robe group, to offer a new level of solutions and support to the thriving Australasian market. With LSC’s role as a provider of world-leading power and data distribution solutions, complemented by Avolites’ renowned visuals and lighting control products, the future is visibly bright.

Avolites’ Managing Director Paul Wong is thrilled by the development: “We’re all very happy to welcome LSC as our representative for Australia and New Zealand. Their years of industry experience and strong relationships will strengthen Avolites in the region. We all take great confidence from the natural alignment between the two brands!”

Gary Pritchard, LSC’s Founder & Managing Director, agrees: “This is incredibly exciting news that allows us to provide a very attractive turnkey offering to the customers. Two manufacturers working together in their respective fields of expertise can only benefit the market.”

He adds, “Just a few short years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined that an opportunity like this was possible. But now, I’m delighted to say that some big, bold moves in this incredible industry have made it a reality!”

This new reality continues the long and interwoven stories of both brands and presents an optimistic future.

“Avolites’ latest range of lighting control consoles and media servers perfectly complements our product portfolio,” says LSC’s business development manager, Darren McLanders, “It’s a powerful synergy and we’re looking forward to passing it on to our customers here in Australia and New Zealand.”

Darren continues, “The Avolites team has done an amazing job over the years, establishing a real presence, particularly in the UK, supporting and training console users at festivals and shows. It’s a model we’ll follow here, with regular training and direct product support from industry professionals, giving users the confidence and support they need to grow an advanced range of products.”

The Avolites brand will be officially relaunched to the Australia and New Zealand market during the 2024 Entech roadshow events, set to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth during October.

Photo shows Paul Wong with Avolites sales director, Ron Carrington.

The post LSC & Avolites announce partnership for Australia and New Zealand appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

Routhier’s original tour design launched in 2022 in support of the “Music of the Spheres” album, and the band is continuing the current stadium tour with the same design. For this summer’s European leg, which launched on June 8 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, she was looking for the most effective way to add a searchlight-type effect to the show without using a heavy, power-consuming fixture. “We wanted to add lighting to the seats to expand the overall image of the rig without adding a ton of structure,” she said.

Consequently, Elation’s John Dunn and Chuck Dillingham from Freed Sales brought Elation’s new PROTEUS ATLAS to Clear All Visuals in Nashville for Routhier to look at. “It was actually an amazing and fun experience,” she said. “We had the fixture on the rooftop deck of the office and pointed it in the direction of a rooftop bar down the street. We were able to see the beam shooting across the night sky from over two blocks away!”

The designer found what she sought in the powerful IP66-rated PROTEUS ATLAS beam FX moving head, which debuted on the “Music of the Spheres” tour. “We placed them in the seats behind the stage to add some extra firepower to the rig,” she stated. “Music of the Spheres is a hazeless show, yet even without haze, the fixtures are able to provide amazing beam effects without the use of unnatural atmospherics!”

The PROTEUS ATLAS projects a powerful and razor-thin 0.6° beam comparable to 7K Xenon searchlights yet offers various design features and operates at a fraction of the power. Compact enough to be incorporated into virtually any lighting setup, the beam projects from a mammoth 320mm (12.5″) front lens, a great look for a large-scale show like “Music of the Spheres.” Routhier’s design includes 48 units lined above and behind the stage in groups of four, all exposed to the elements.

Tour lighting director and programmer Shaheem Litchmore has been with Coldplay for 3 ½ years and manages the day-to-day handling of the fixtures on the road. “They allow the show to feel massive at moments,” he says, “and because they sit around the stage, they create an intimate, immersive experience. It’s like they give the room a hug that brings it all together!” Referencing the unit’s massive column of light, he says they “feel big but not disconnected. It’s massive but you also feel like you can reach out and touch it.”

The ATLAS creates dynamic beam looks at times, and gobo/prism looks at others to add texture to specific songs. “We love the look of the beams punching through the stadium and touching the clouds; however, it’s also cool to have a softer look from such a powerful fixture,” Shaheem remarked. “They expand the depth of our show and push our creativity.” He adds that they look forward to exploring more of the effects package as the tour continues, especially the continuous pan movement.

A Coldplay show naturally includes a lot of wow moments, one of which occurs right at the top of the show when the lights go down. “One of the first lighting cues involves the ATLAS beams hitting on vertically, touching the sky then falling to the floor of the stadium,” Shaheem describes. “It’s an unexpected and impactful way to introduce the new PROTEUS ATLAS to our show.”

Sooner adds that the fixtures look “incredible” doing a rainbow chase for “Adventure of a Lifetime.” In the song “A Sky Full of Stars,” one of her favorites, massive white beams explode from behind the stage, creating a “lighting firework.” In the hit “Paradise,” the softer side of the fixture is displayed with bold gobo/prism looks.

One of the highlight moments in the show, according to Shaheem, is in a song called “Clocks” with no front light and the band silhouetted. “There is a big laser moment in that number, and the ATLAS add a lot of beams on top of it all. It’s an impactful moment in the show and they punch right through,” he said, adding that “the reaction from the crowd during those moments is why we do this.”

One of the highest-attended and biggest-grossing tours of all time, Coldplay’s environmental efforts on “Music of the Spheres” are highly commendable. Stages were developed with a team of sustainability experts and built from reusable materials, displays, lasers, lighting, and PA are all low energy, and many more ecological initiatives. With its efficient 500W Solid State Phosphor-Converted (SSPC) light engine, the PROTEUS ATLAS aligns with the green ethos of the tour as it operates at a fraction of the power of 7000W Xenon fixtures for a much smaller footprint.

The European leg of Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour is scheduled to wrap on 2^ndSeptember in Dublin, the final show in a successful debut outing for the PROTEUS ATLAS.

“Every time I visit the show, I’m in awe at the dynamics they add to it!” Sooner concludes. “They were definitely the perfect addition to the lighting rig.”

Photos: Kai Kuczera.

The post Sooner Routhier debuts PROTEUS ATLAS on Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” Tour appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The awards opened on August 22, 2024 for entries, with interested participants having until October 07, 2024 to make their submissions.

The traditional application categories have been consolidated to a list of five awards: Residential, Commercial Interior, Commercial Exterior, Industrial & Infrastructure, and Horticulture. Alongside the updated application categories this year’s DALI Lighting Awards will include the following innovation categories:

• • Best Use of D4i: Recognizing innovative applications of DALI D4i technology in lighting systems, including enhanced data communication, energy management, and advanced control capabilities.
  • Best Emergency Lighting Integration: Celebrating exceptional designs and solutions that effectively incorporate emergency lighting, ensuring safety, reliability, and compliance with standards during emergency situations.
  • Best Human Centric Design: Honoring projects that prioritize human well-being by utilizing lighting solutions that support health, comfort, and productivity through dynamic and adaptive lighting environments.
  • Best Integration into Other Building Systems Highlighting projects that excel in integrating lighting data with other building systems, such as HVAC, security, and energy management, to enhance overall building performance and efficiency.
  • Innovation in Lighting: Recognizing cutting-edge technologies, and advancements in lighting control solutions.
  • Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Highlighting projects that excel in sustainability, energy conservation, and environmental impact.
  • Smart and Connected Lighting: Honoring advancements in smart lighting systems, IoT integration, and connected lighting solutions.
  • Non-networked Lighting:  Celebrating innovative applications in small or stand-alone spaces.

These new categories align with the growth of technologies, advancements in lighting innovative approaches that are being adopted by the sector.

Another significant change for this year’s Awards is that submissions will no longer be submitted to a specific category. Entries will be reviewed internally by the Awards judges, to assign the entries into a primary category. An assessment will also be made to determine if the entry fits into other relevant categories, allowing the possibility of a single project winning multiple awards.

DALI Alliance is certain that these updates to the awards will enable more submissions from a wider representation of the lighting sector, from emerging professionals to established industry leaders.

Paul Drosihn, general manager of DALI Alliance, said: “We are very excited to launch this year’s DALI Alliance Lighting Awards, especially with a refreshed approach. We are confident these changes will make it more straightforward for those from across the lighting industry to enter, as well as providing more opportunities to get recognition in meaningful categories.

“The awards have already built up an enviable reputation and are highly regarded across the sector. The updates will further increase this, thanks to a more comprehensive evaluation process.

“We’re looking forward to seeing this year’s entries.”

As well as benefiting from the prestigious nature of the awards, winners will have their work promoted and highlighted through the work of DALI Alliance. This will offer excellent exposure and alignment with a credible, authoritative organisation.

For more information and to enter the awards, visit https://www.dali-alliance.org/awards2024/.

The post DALI Alliance Lighting Awards officially open with new categories for 2024 appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

“It needed to be bright, versatile, bold and strong,” says the designer, one of three partners at Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD). And so Ridgway recommended GLP’s impression X5 IP Maxx, promptly arranging a shoot-out. Terry Cook’s conclusion: “It brought meanness, real character and was unapologetically angry. It was definitely an AC/DC light,” he exclaims unequivocally. “We have history of embracing new technology on AC/DC tours and the Power Up tour was no different.”

At the same time he noted a further advantage: the fixture’s IP rating. In fact, its waterproof qualities would prove vital during the tour, even though every fixture would be located under the roof.

Neg Earth had been contracted as tour vendors by the band’s production director, Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth. As soon as the designer had greenlighted GLP’s powerful washlight, it wasted no time in ordering 172 of the fixtures – the first rental company in the world to do so. “Dave [Ridgway] knows I take nothing as guaranteed and so we looked at each fixture twice, using light meters to measure it, and to understand what each light could do and how they balanced together,” reports Cook.

Lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe, who originally set up WBD, has an association with both AC/DC and Neg Earth stretching back decades. “The band hadn’t toured for a while for various reasons,” notes Terry Cook. “We were contacted about them returning for a one-off show at Power Trip Festival in California – and they would then try something in Europe.”

WBD immediately witnessed the signature rawness and WBD were soon back at the drawing board once the European tour was confirmed. “There were to be no gimmicks, it was very much about connecting the band, the music and the fanbase,” continues Cook.

The lighting designers worked closely with Stufish, which was responsible for the stage design and size of video screens: “I realised I could replicate the shapes of the video with five large lighting pods, filled with one type of light. Stufish suggested putting a video frame around the pods so we could drag the video off the screens and immerse it into the roof and sides of the stage. Suddenly the idea was born and we knew we had a winning combination.”

Three identical overhead pods – four units wide, eight units high – were offset by two further pods, stage left and right, aligned on the vertical plane. Each contained a matrix of impression X5 IP Maxx – which made up the bulk of the 168 units that toured. The remainder were set on the upstage side of the front truss to illuminate the band’s iconic 8ft high signature wall of Marshall amps, stacked three high.

The challenges in bringing this to fruition were many, not least ensuring the vast inventory of X5 IP Maxx could be shipped in time. “We also had to work out how we were going to build these lights within the trusses, even-spaced in a matrix and at the same time get the correct beam angles. The rig was something of a throwback to a parcan rig of yesteryear, when we were specifying the Molefay,” suggests Cook. As for the trusses, individual custom bracketing had to be produced for each piece, with a custom [load] spreader built into each hang.

The next decision was the DMX programming mode for the X5 IP Maxx. Cook recalls: “When I first turned one cell on, at just 3 percent, I knew immediately it was going to work. We wanted to have cell control so that we could change the shape of these lights and so choosing the correct mode was vital.”

Explaining further, he says:, “There’s one moment in ‘Thunderstruck’, an iconic song, when we wanted 168 linear stripes of light, rather than circles, to loosely represent a lightning bolt delivering real sparkle and flare across that big iconic intro.” After consideration, they opted for the fixture’s Mode 4 Multipix Advanced mode. “This gave us an incredible 141 DMX channels, with two lights per universe. It may have given Neg Earth a heart attack, but we wanted the flexibility to create the pixel effects.”

Terry Cook also knew “from the get-go” that he wanted to integrate the GLP washlight into the Follow-Me follow spot system “and so at a moment we could sweep all 168 lights onto [frontman Angus Young] if we wanted a big guitar moment and pull a vast section of lights down to him.”

And when he needed to perform a fast zoom there is none finer than the impression X5 IP Maxx, with an enormous range from an extremely narrow 3.3° beam out to a wide homogeneous 66° wash.

Terry Cook paid tribute to a number of people for bringing the show to fruition, led by the head of GLP UK, Simon Barrett. “We must have used every fixture in GLP’s catalogue over the years. I can’t tell you how good Simon and GLP’s customer service are. To have direct access to the manufacturer was really useful.

“We worked very closely with the set designer Ray Winkler [of Stufish] and Jeremy Lloyd at Wonderworks, who did the technical design, working out how to rig it safely, putting the engineering side of the pods together. Finally, there was Sam Patterson’s team at Treatment, who do video creation.”

To the many superlatives already levelled at the X5 IP Maxx, Terry Cook adds “reliability”, explaining: “By the halfway stage of the tour the team hadn’t swapped out a single light – despite them getting extremely wet in atrocious weather, particularly at load-in and load-out.

“But they are a great fit for an AC/DC show and the biggest compliment that I can give is I’d spec them on a show in a heartbeat!”

The show itself was naturally piloted by the band’s veteran and ever-present touring lighting director, Cosmo Wilson, while Joe Bay and Michael Hankowsky were brought on through Early Bird to handle the lighting and video programming. The last, and newest, member of the FOH team is WBD’s own Fraser Walker who, like Cosmo, runs the video screens live each show, with no timecode used, “it’s lovely to see Cosmo and Fraser operate this show,” remarks Cook.

One final footnote: Opie and WBD made the decision that, having been so impressed with the young crew appointed by Upstaging on a recent American show, to request similar from Neg Earth. The rental company delivered, providing another young, fastidiously professional team with an average age of just 28. Other crew members included Jim Mills, Lewis Willding, Niccolò Grigolato, Ben Tinniswood, Zac Saleh, Euan Odd, Charlie Strangeways and Holly Brightman working under crew chief Alan Fotheringham. Neg Earth’s team who assisted with all the prep, comprised Joao Magalhaes, Jack Prior, Fiore Fillarini and Greg Gadomsk.

Terry Cook credits the impact that the crew’s energy and teamwork made to the overall result of the show.

Photo credit: Ralph Larmann.

The post Stunning world debut as 168 GLP impression X5 IP Maxx join the AC/DC tour appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

Originated and designed by Arcadia’s Pip Rush (creative director) and Bert Cole (technical director), the 30-metre-long, 8.5-metre-high biomechanical Dragonfly is built from an ex Royal Navy Sea King helicopter and was surrounded by a 50,000-capacity evolved geometric ‘energy field’ at the festival.

The sculpture ‘awakened’ every night of Glasto at 23:30, presenting “Warraloo” a breathtaking 9-minute show developed by Arcadia in collaboration with the Wadjuk Noongar nation of Western Australia and based on the Dragonfly’s pupation cycle.

The Dragonfly head is covered with over 200 custom hexagonal and pentagonal LED screens, the legs were pixel mapped, the body was projection mapped, and over 200 lighting and LED pixel fixtures were rigged on the construction and dotted around the Arcadia arena, all vital elements of the production lighting scheme created by Dave Cohen from design studio, MIRRAD.

MIRRAD was also responsible for designing and supplying the full lighting and visual control system and all the related integration.

Music lovers were treated to a sizzling hot lineup of local and international DJs who played well into the night throughout the three-day festival, and Arcadia also presented its new 9-minute ‘spectacular’ timecoded performance show – complete with aerialists, fire, lasers, other SFX and massive excitement.

In addition to the Dragonfly, four sets of scenic bull-rush podiums, also created from recycled scrap metal, circled the space, two of them doubling as performance areas for elements of the timecoded show. Six 11-metre-high lighting towers were positioned around the outside of the arena, rigged with – among other lighting fixtures – six of Robe’s new searchlight style laser-lightsource iBOLTS.

Dave explained that lighting for the event was 95 per cent operated live or busked – only the Arcadia shows were timecoded, so with operating sessions of five hours or more, the Avolites D9-330 was his desk of choice for this style of operation.

“It is absolutely the best option” to combine both these operating MOs (busking & cue stack) as well as facilitating the seamless live operation of both lighting and video, he stated.

A major creative challenge was ensuring that the Dragonfly was well lit and getting plenty of light into the arena and amongst the crowds to help keep the atmos pumping whilst maintaining the structural integrity and look of the Dragonfly as an impressive piece of industrial art.

He and MIRRAD’s Sam Werrett operated Arcadia’s lighting for all artists across the Glastonbury weekend working in close conjunction with the live visuals team featuring Australian artists Peter Walker and Brad Hammond. They used Touch Designer and Unity to bake these (visuals) onto a UV map, which was mixed by Joe Crossley from Astralprojekt using a MIDI controller.

Sam – thrilled to be working on his first Glasto – explained that D9 features like Timeline, Timecoded Cue Lists, Pixel Mapper plus several others created especially for this Arcadia event were invaluable.

Other features like Align made it extremely straightforward to copy all the positional and other fixture information from – in this case – one tower and apply it to another, which saved time when dealing the parts of the lighting rig hidden from the FOH position which was side-on to the Dragonfly – rather than having to adjust every light!

The D9 console’s rotary playback faders were utilised to execute some on-the-fly safety parameters like dimming strobes or lighting that might inadvertently get in performer faces during the live shows.

Using Avolites Synergy to unite the worlds of video and lighting control enabled Dave and Sam to see the NDI previews of the visuals being created and instantly match or contrast colour-wise with lighting and crossfade between outputting lighting and video feeds.

“Avo’s history is in live operation,” noted Sam, “and the D9’s versatility meant we could keep the show fresh and invigorated with new looks and combinations even after a five-hour plus operating shift.”

While those long operating stints were part of the challenge of this event, they were also what Dave and Sam relished.

All the timecoded parts were pre-vizzed in WYSIWYG – using a model of the helicopter – and fine-tuned on site, and they also had a WYG set up on site, networked to the FOH which enabled video and lighting and video to be processed in the same previz environment.

The two D9 consoles – live and backup – were run in multi-user mode, allowing looks, combinations and effects to be prepared and trialled on one and then output on the other as the evening progressed.

Coordinating the AI media server side of the control for MIRRAD was Arran Rothwell-Eyre, one of the original team behind AI, and Greg Haynes from Avo provided additional tech support.

The LED screen design and installation for the head of the helicopter was created by Ben Vaughan and Video Illusions.

The connection between Avolites, MIRRAD and Arcadia goes back to 2012 and the famous Spider and their “Metamorphosis” show. An Avolites console has been running their lighting ever since then, and they first implemented Synergy and the AI servers in 2015 which became a crucial part of their touring shows.

Arcadia’s technical production manager Katie Davies enthused, “It’s great to work with a team who just really get what we are trying to do, and with whom we can build on the knowledge and experience of previous years and stage designs.”

Utilising the Avolites D9 console, AI media server and Synergy for the live visual feeds, helped make Arcadia one of the most talked about areas of Glastonbury 2024.

Photos: Steve Bright.

The post Avolites Diamond 9 controls Arcadia Dragonfly lighting and video appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The construction and operations of buildings is deemed one of the biggest ‘climate killers’ accounting for 38 percent of global emissions according to research.

But B.E.G. in Lindlar, has become a ‘trailblazer for sustainable buildings’ thanks to the installation of a new server solution and state-of-the-art NetX building automation systems technology. The tech incorporates geothermal heat pump, ventilation, photovoltaic system, blinds, lighting, access, and security areas to form a single automation system.

At Lindlar, the geothermal system is controlled via ModBus, the photovoltaic system via BACNet. Air quality, air-conditioning, shading, the control of the gate system and accesses are controlled via KNX, the lighting control via the in-house DALI-SYS. In the high-bay warehouse, a wireless system called Casambi is also used due to its flexibility.

Different communication protocols and bus systems such as Modbus, BACnet, KNX, DALI and Casambi become a functional unit under NetX via one simple router. Heating, shading, excluding unused areas, increasing security, all improve comfort at Lindlar.

B.E.G. employees have an individual access chip which opens and closes the access gate to the premises and activates the room air conditioning when a building area is opened.

In the offices, super-flat sensors are used to control the lighting and provide increased comfort. This changes the light colour during the day and helps support the natural biorhythm of the employees. In the dark winter months, the Human Centric Lighting (HCL) function ensures a fresh start to the day.

Special HVAC wall sensors not only control temperature but humidity too so fresh, oxygen-rich air is experienced in the office rooms. In the process, it measures the proportion of volatile organic components – VOCs for short – so adhesives and chemicals that are emitted from walls, floors and furniture which can lead to feelings of illness are removed.

Human exhalations such as the smell of sweat, sulphurous compounds, essential oils, perfume, hairspray, and deodorant are also VOCs. If there are too many of these VOCs in a room, it is automatically ventilated. The sensors are also used in the conference rooms of B.E.G. where many people spend long periods of time and where permanently fresh air increases the ability to concentrate and the sense of well-being.

Hygienic and particularly energy-saving lighting of the sanitary facilities is implemented via another sensor, called the Indoor 180-KNX-DX. It reacts to movements and then switches on the light. It also has a noise detection system. This means that it also detects a presence in individual cubicles. During periods of non-use, luminaires remain switched off.

By adjusting the BMS server via a KNX router in connection with a blind actuator and a KNX weather station, building automation at Lindlar can also be adjusted to the course of the sun. In this way, the climate is much more pleasant inside during the summer, while in winter the blinds provide additional thermal insulation.

A mixture of KNX, DALI and Casambi sensors are installed in the B.E.G. warehouse building. In the high-bay warehouse area, detectors with their excellent daylight-dependent regulation in combination with KNX sensors help to ensure that optimum lighting conditions are always available.

B.E.G. has also implemented an innovative lighting guidance system where light accompanies the user through the warehouse like a ‘cloud of light’.

Thanks to sensor coordination across groups and even lines, the light is fully activated in the area where the user is located. The surrounding areas dim to a fixed orientation light value. As a result, the user never has a completely dark area in their field of vision: all adjacent, visible aisles are illuminated with orientation light.

In all unused areas, the light is automatically switched off and energy is saved. All the different systems are controlled by a server located at each site and combined with a higher-level server installed in the administration building. This allows the greatest possible degree of fail-safety through the use of several controllers as well as a maximum degree of control at the same time, and this is location-independent. The user only needs an internet-capable end device (smartphone, tablet, notebook) with a pre-installed browser and a secure connection.

The German manufacturer insists the ‘path to climate neutrality is through building automation solutions’ which is an ‘investment in the future’. Paul Jones, Sales Director of UK & Ireland at B.E.G, also says these type of systems are vital to the world in achieving its ‘climate goals’. The UK currently aims to reach Net Zero by 2050.

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Boris Jacob, from Elation’s French distributor Best Audio & Lighting, handled lighting design on the project. He stated, “This show really gives pride of place to the Elation brand with the FUZE PROFILE and the KL PROFILE FC. The luminous flux and high CRI, the identical colorimetry between the FUZE and KL series, as well as the silence, make these fixtures the perfect choice!”

A flexible framing fixture for theatre and television, the FUZE PROFILE houses a 305W RGBMA LED engine with high CRI. Its 5-color homogenized LED array not only ensures accurate color reproduction with a beautiful mixed white, it also provides color manipulation features like virtual color temperature and Magenta/Green adjustment plus CMY emulation. Jacob used some of the FUZE PROFILES as keylighting to illuminate the artists’ faces using the built in framing blades and color temperature control with the remaining FUZE PROFILES set on stage to project gobos and cut out scenery elements.

Because the KL PROFILE FC ellipsoidal also houses an RGBMA LED engine, the designer was able to perfectly match color across the rig. Housing an integrated zoom that adjusts from 6 to 50 degrees, the KL PROFILE FC requires no additional lens tubes for fast beam angle changes. Its 93.5 CRI engine ensures accurate color reproduction, and full blackout manual framing eliminates any light spill. Both fixtures proved the ideal complements for “The Twist Years” production.

Atmospheric haze and mid-air projection canopy came courtesy of a THERMA TOUR 600 from Magmatic atmospheric effects. Producing an exceptionally fine, long-lasting haze, a water-based fluid was used to allow for total protection of the eight artists’ vocal chords, as well those of the accompanying musicians and technical crew. The 350W THERMA TOUR 600 creates a safe, clean and odorless haze effect that leaves no residue.

Stemming from the early 1900s, the Eiffel Tower Theatre was renovated in 2016 and reopened in 2017. Due to its exceptional historical heritage and a varied program of musical shows, comedy, and plays, it has managed to find a place among the pantheon of Parisian theaters. “The Twist Years” will be back at the Eiffel Tower Theatre in October and will be touring in 2025.

Production: Cabucho Production – Remy Caccia & Christelle Chollet.

Director: Lucy Harrison.

Choreography: Olivier Benard.

Musical Director: Gabriel Sarrou Vergnac.

Costumes: Claire Djemah.

Cast: Lou Nagy, Martin Heuzard, Marine Rouvrais, Quentin Aubert, Théophile Baquet, Victor Villafranca, Alexia Piovano, Pierre-Arthur.

Lemoine, Olivier Benard, Armonie Coiffard, Magali Bonfils, Thomas Boissy, Pierre-Alain Leleu.

Musicians: Gabriel Sarrou Vergnac, Frank Bessard, Maxence Naudet, Matthieu Durand Valerio, Edouard Dornier, Rodrigo Viana.

Photos:  Justine Lephay.

The post Elation FUZE and KL highlight “The Twist Years” at Paris’ Eiffel Tower Theatre appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The Summit promises a dynamic agenda featuring a range of topics surrounding sustainability, smart buildings, DALI-2 certification, D4i use, and the integration of DALI with building management systems.

Attendees will benefit from expert-led presentations, interactive workshops, and panel discussions designed to address the current challenges and opportunities within the lighting industry.

Key Highlights:

• Explore the latest DALI technologies and applications: Gain insights into cutting-edge innovations and practical implementations in the field of DALI lighting control.
• Network with leading figures and peers: Connect with industry experts and fellow professionals to exchange ideas and build valuable relationships.
• Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs): Participate in selected sessions to earn CEUs and enhance your professional development.

Early bird registration is now open at a discounted rate of $199 until 1^st September , after which the fee will increase to $249. To learn more and to register, please visit https://www.dali-alliance.org/events/dali-north-america-summit-2024.html

Paul Drosihn, general manager for DALI Alliance, said: “This is the first time we have brought the DALI Summit to North America, and we are excited to connect with our peers and friends in the industry to share knowledge and best practices. We have listened to the feedback from our members and we are committed to open up our knowledge base and share expertise on DALI technology. The summit is a key part of our efforts to expand the educational opportunities available to our members and other stakeholders. We are looking forward to sharing this special event with members of the lighting industry.”

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