The initial brief involved recreating the rich colours of the theatre’s ‘house curtains’ and projecting these vibrant shades onto the facade of the building. In addition it was felt that the Theatre’s magnificent columns should be bought to the forefront of the lighting design. Subsequently, the colour-changing effect was created courtesy of 12 of Color Kinetics’ C200W luminaires, which illuminate the upper canopy area, balcony and lower frontage. Additional fittings light the pediment above the pillars and ‘cross-light’ the crest.
Sitting behind the columns are four original 19th century hanging lanterns, which have been retro-fitted with four 12" Color Kinetics iCove fittings to add further interest to the under-canopy area. They can also be used to provide white light when necessary. Control of the colour-changing effects is by a Pulsar Masterpiece Replay unit with local outstations.
The front of the columns, framing the appearance of the Theatre, are lit with 13 Astralux searchlights, which are located out of sight on the buildings opposite. These are controlled by a combination time-clock and photocell system and are fitted with beam-shaping lenses to columnate the light and help eliminate light spill. The LED luminaires were specifically chosen due to their 100,000 hour lamp life, efficient use of energy, discreet presence and controllability. In a similar manner the searchlights offered considerable benefits over competing white light sources.
Simon, who worked closely with various people at Lighting Technology, commented: "This project is about externalizing the internal theatre curtain on the façade of the building as a threshold of animated light. As a Grade 1 listed building, even this simple intervention was quite a challenge. It has, however, framed a fine feature within the cityscape and set a precedent for the ongoing illumination of the area."
(Lee Baldock)
