The team of leisure consultants behind the new venture include Piers Adam, who has joined forces with Patrice Gouty, one of the co-founders of Chinawhite, Jeanette Calliva, party planner for Woodhead Calliva, and interior designer Tara Bernerd, of Target Living. It was Bernerd who masterminded the interior conversion, working in conjunction with main contractors, Du Boulay Contracts and The Sound Division Group.
Under the stewardship of the experienced Jon Carey (JLC Contracts) and SDG installations manager Elliot Patterson, the installers deployed the same highly-qualified team of programming and project professionals that had delivered the complex Tamarai in Covent Garden at the end of last year.
The company sourced all its LED lighting from Lighting Effects Distribution; they supplied the floor modules - comprising 40 colour-changing AVR LED panels, with different combinations programmed into the ShowCAD controller, which drives the main dancefloor.
SDG extended their design to incorporate two fibre optic ceiling panels within the entrance foyer and walkway leading to the club to enhance the sense of anticipation. Elsewhere, some 62 x 1W white dimmable LEDs were set within the frame around the DJ booth, with a further 40 of the same fixture set into the vanity frame outside the ladies' toilets, and 24 more installed on the three main staircases (including the one leading to the upstairs bar).
For their sound design, the A/V specialists created a seven-zone layout, calling on the BSS Soundweb programming expertise of Martin Barbour (presently engaged on the huge 02 Arena project) to programme the gain structure and set up the routing pattern in a line-configured Soundweb SW3088LL digital signal processor; five strategically-placed remote wall panels provide local source select and volume control.
SDG specified six wall-mounted Nexo PS8s and a pair of LS500 subs for playback in the main room. "We chose these because they were compact, high quality boxes," said David Graham. "They offered the best sound reinforcement solution for the space and budget available."
(Jim Evans)
