Laban is the world’s largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre, standing amidst a bleak environment of industrial sites as a beacon of creativity for the local community. Comparisons here with the Phoenix rising from the ashes are obvious, but apt.
Designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the prize-winning Swiss architects behind the Tate Modern, the building project cost around £20 million, primarily provided by capital Lottery funding. At the recent launch it was obvious that the building is a highly visible focus for the ongoing social and physical regeneration of Deptford and the surrounding areas.
Rudolf Laban, a Hungarian visionary, is acknowledged as being the "father of modern dance". He settled in the UK in 1938 to escape Hitler’s oppressive regime and since his death in 1958, his work has been continued by the Laban Centre. Dedicated to "raising the status of dance as an art form", the Laban Centre will enable the continuing development of contemporary dance to take place in an environment which seamlessly melds technology with creativity.
Theatre consultants Carr Angier were brought in to craft the heart of the new building - the fantastic 300-seat Bonnie Bird Theatre. In collaboration with the extensive technical expertise of Laban staff, they have succeeded in creating a stylish, state-of-the-art facility. Anthony Bowne, deputy CEO of Laban, has a background in dance and architectural lighting design which enabled him to ensure that the particular needs of a dance performance space were addressed. "The stage space really was a very straightforward spec - contemporary dance needs a large stage and, unlike most venues, doesn’t need to be flexible. This is not a multi-purpose venue, therefore we didn’t need to compromise on the design of the space."
The only compromise that did occur was in the construction of the flying tower; unable to afford a full height tower, a reduced version was created which still permits sufficient flying flexibility for contemporary dance. Bowne adds that dance mainly relies on front and rear flying, so slots were cut into these areas to enable flying to reach the full height of 13m; elsewhere onstage, scenery can be flown to 11m. Hall Stage supplied the 29-line counterweight flying system with an additional two upstage/downstage single purchase lines.
There are also two upstage/downstage hemp bars on either side of the stage, to provide for the much-utilized sidelight rigging positions. The building has been designed internally as an ‘urban streetscape’ structured around a series of corridors and interior courtyards on sloping gradients and on multi-levels. The effect of this on the building’s exterior means that there is no unsightly flying tower acting as a blot on the harmonious and aesthetically pleasing lines.
It goes without saying that, for dance, the flooring is an integral element of any space, whether it be in the 13 studios or in the theatre. British Harlequin PLC was an obvious choice when it came to supplying the flooring throughout the building. The company was sole supplier and installer of the ‘Timber and Vinyl’ sub-contract within the construction project.
Before the final specification for the sprung floors was confirmed, two of Laban’s dancers flew to Boston to test Harlequin’s Liberty floor, since it was not available in the UK. The verdict was resoundingly positive and 1,762sq.m of Harlequin Liberty sprung floor panels and Harlequin Studio vinyl floors were installed throughout the 13 airy and bright studios.
Liberty is a ‘floating’ floor system designed to enable dancers to concentrate on their performance without fear of injury. The floor panels combine consistent shock
