PAI Group's general manager Keith Elms led the project, taking Thomas Parry Architects' interior design as an aesthetic starting point for the design, specification and supply of a complimentary, avant-garde technical infrastructure. Elms comments: "We know that the fusion between interior design, AV and lighting systems is intrinsic to delivering the most cutting-edge results for the client."
The club's peripheral features utilise state-of-the-art LED architectural lighting. These architectural elements are incorporated into the venue's key features including the bar fronts, vodka shelves, seating booths, tables and wall areas.
i-Vision's i-link RGB product was selected due to its compact size which allowed it to be concealed into the shop fit features. i-Vision's Lumos 18 RGB Flood was used to wash the external aspects of the building, and their Lumos 12 fixtures were selected to provide the in-table illumination due to their open frame construction.
For control, there are 6 Lumos 216 drivers driven by a Sunlite controller, complete with an 8-button outstation for easy operation.
This enables the venue to morph between moods using colour. At the touch of a button they can skip between steamy reds, cool blues or simply run the system in continuous colour-change mode. These types of effects have previously been predominantly seen in large budget metropolitan installations.
The venue has several distinct internal areas, all of which PAI treated as separate but related in terms of the guest experience.
For Chillout Zones 1 and 2, six Martin Audio EM15 compact loudspeakers are installed. Phillips 42" HD plasma screens and 32" LCD screens are mounted at high level and to the rear wall of chill-out zone two, providing ambient video.
The two Bars have a total of 70 i-Vision i-Link RGB LED fixtures set behind the facades, both at pelmet and bar front levels, with an illuminated vodka stand at the back of Bar 2. The music is louder in these areas, delivered by eight RCF C3108 300w full range speakers positioned around the periphery of the room.
The club has four dance podiums, all with integral professional polished chrome dance poles. An animated 'cage of light' effect from above is created using 64 Par 36 spotlights combined with 16 Abstract AVR LED colour changing dance floor panels from below.
Live acts strut their stuff on the dedicated stage area, with stage lighting coming from 8 PAR 56s and two rear facing Martin Professional Twister 4 effects lights.
On the main dance floor, audio is delivered via four RCF Event 3000 full-range speakers and dedicated RCF 1018 series subs, processed via an Allen & Heath DR66. The front end features an industry standard Formula Sound FSM400 mixer which has remote inputs for dex, CD and DVD players and external microphones.
PAI has also installed a fully comprehensive Vista digital CCTV system incorporating 16 high resolution colour cameras controlled from a CDR Triplex DVR Cam Controller with 600Gb hard drive covering the whole venue internally and externally.
(Jim Evans)
