Working in the former Eurostar Terminal at London's busy Waterloo Station for lighting designer Simon Tutchener was a project with many challenges.
The trains to Paris and Brussels had long left the station, but the perfect fashion runway remained in place along the concourse of Platform 4, complete with all the charisma and transitional charm of the neo-industrial setting. Tutchener and the Entec team's biggest challenges were working the light levels in the ever changing daylight conditions inside the glass roofed building, and installing lighting kit into very limited spaces. Some of this was over the old train tracks, which still contain live DC volt rails that are part of Waterloo's signalling network.
Several shows were staged in this space, the highest profile of which was Top Shop's Unique - a stunning amalgam of funky clothes, big hair and cool ideas for the 2010/11 winter collection.
Entec's crew was chiefed by Simon Honnor. They also had to contend with sharing a power supply with the theatrical production of The Railway Children being staged at the far end of the disused platforms in a specially constructed black box arena, and a third of a mile push to get the equipment from the load in door to the performance area with no vehicular access. There is also very strict health & safety regulations that govern working in a railway station - even when it's not in active service.
Another Waterloo challenge was the Entec crew could not work on rigging Top Shop whilst there was a Railway Children performance live. This entailed some nifty logistics, juggling and shift scheduling by account manager Adam Stevenson, allowing enough time for the build and programming.
The only practical way to get positions from which to light along the 44m runway area was with ground supports, so Tutchener asked Steeldeck - who were also involved in the Railway Children - to install 10 x 8ft x 8ft platforms over the tracks on Platforms 3 and 4. Onto these, Entec rigged 10 Superlifts, five a side, which were cranked up to their maximum trim height, and rigged with a total of 30 x Vari*Lite 2000 wash fixtures, carefully focused to cover the catwalk and blend with the constantly shifting daylight.
Entec supplied another 20 Martin Professional MAC 300s which were rigged on stands and used to light the cafe and hospitality area straddling the next two platforms over - moving away from the glass roof. For the shows, these fixtures were focussed on the 'escape route' running down the back of the seating stands and behind the main runway.
For front light, there was a Strong 2kw Super-trooper and two Pani 1200w follow spots, rigged on top of a purpose built truss platform just forward of the control area, each followspot locked off in a static position and balanced to interact with the fill light provided by the Vari*Lites and the daylight blasting in through the roof .
Five Jem Glaciators and several hazers were used for atmospheric enhancement on selected shows. Richard Lambert operated the lights using a grandMA full size console, while Tutchener flitted between the three other 'off-site' shows he had designed for this Fashion Week, all with more kit & crews supplied by Entec.
(Jim Evans)
