GDS ArcSystem for Bijloke Gent Music Centre
- Details
The Music Centre is housed in the building of a medieval hospital, carefully restored to include modern galleries, rehearsal rooms, offices and a lobby. The main concert hall lies within the original 700-year-old construction and seats 960 audience members, primarily but not exclusively, for classical concerts and recitals.
The management at De Bijloke wished to significantly improve upon the lighting provision in the Music Centre. In the past, the stage for classical concerts had been lit by way of 1kW and 2kW spotlights to meet the demand for the musicians to be able to clearly see their scores. Every concert was very labour-intensive and consumed large amounts of energy.
A permanent solution was sought that would provide excellent concert lighting, be discreet enough to fit in within the spectacular surroundings without compromise and reduce energy consumption. The technical team at the venue looked at a number of possibilities before settling on GDS ArcSystem. GDS’s Belgian distributor, FACE, supplied a Dialux simulation which convinced De Bijloke that ArcSystem would be a perfect fit.
De Bijloke AV supplier and FACE customer, City Sounds Rent, delivered 20 x ArcSystem Pro Four-Cell Square 2700K and 5 x ArcSystem Pro Two-Cell 2700K fixtures. The Four-Cell fixtures are arranged in five rows of four above the stage and the Two-Cell for counter-light at the back, providing a warm even coverage that enhances the aesthetic of the medieval surroundings as much as it enables visiting musicians to read their scores without the need for hiring in costly, energy consuming spotlights.
The system is wirelessly controlled by means of GDS's ArcMesh TX1 Transmitter and when ArcSystem's perfect dimming is taken into account, it easy to see why it offers an exceptional lighting solution within an orchestra canopy.
GDS managing director, Matthew Lloyd comments: "The installation at De Bijloke is a good illustration of ArcSystem's versatility and how it can satisfy a full range of potentially conflicting requirements without compromise. As an orchestra canopy, it delivers excellent light for the musicians, whilst at the same time creating a beautiful warm ambience for the audience.
“The cold running of the system means that the onstage temperature remains constant, ensuring that performers are comfortable throughout. In a heritage setting such as this magnificent medieval hall, it must also be discreet and have as little physical impact as possible on the fabric of the interior. ArcSystem achieves all of this with silent, perfect dimming and energy savings that will very quickly recoup De Bijloke's investment."
Natan Rosseel, technical director at De Bijloke was upbeat about the new system: "Our system was outdated and in desperate need of improvement. We were struggling to achieve enough lumens for orchestras and since we stage a variety of other genres, including jazz, pop and music theatre, it meant a full changeover for every different occasion.
“Without doubt, ArcSystem has met every one of our criteria and has proved itself to be the best choice we could have made.”
(Jim Evans)
