Michel Lister co-ordinated and managed the project for Futurist, having been referred to Cadogan Hall via Leeds College of Music, where the company recently designed and equipped a purpose-built, 350-seat concert hall. Keen to push the technical envelope, Futurist's associate consultant Richard Northwood wanted to take a lateral approach, and utilize technologies and techniques common to other areas of the entertainment industry - such as theme parks and concert touring. This included an AMX touch-screen system for building control and scheduling.
Futurist worked closely with building owners and developers The Cadogan Estate, architects Paul Davis & Partners, and main building contractors Walter Lily & Co. Lister chose top quality sound, lighting and AV brands throughout. "We were trusted implicitly to specify equipment as appropriate, so we chose industry standard brands like Avolites, ETC, Clay Paky, Meyer, Yamaha, etc - basically the best available."
Auditorium effects lighting needed to be toppy and shadow-less lighting for a predominantly classical programme, but also flexible for other types of events. The rig includes Clay Paky Stage Profile SV 1200W moving heads - the quietest fixtures of the many auditioned - fitted into bespoke recessed cavities in the ceiling to satisfy the Heritage stipulations for a subtle and unobtrusive production installation. There's also 20 ETC Source Four 15/30° profiles in the hall. All fixtures are routed via XTBA DMX Smart Splitter units to the Avolites Diamond 4 Vision control console. Dimming is via three Concert specification 48-way ETC Sensor dimmer racks, distributed around the building. Lite Structures' LiteDeck product is used to create a 4m x 16m stage extension, enabling the full 90-piece RPO to rehearse and perform. When not in use, the extension is stored under-stage via a full 3m x 3m stage elevator.
A mix of Meyer UPM speakers is employed: small speakers and sub-bass units are built into the front of the stage and concealed around the balconies, with one main pair flown above stage. The stage monitors are also Meyer. The Yamaha PM1D FOH desk is the first in a fixed install in the UK, chosen as an appropriate console for present and future audio requirements. An Optocore fibre optic digital fibre link system is integrated into the PM1D layout design, providing fibre optic links to various socket boxes on stage and at back-of-house for connecting monitor or recording desks. A Peavey Media Matrix is the hub of the audio processing and control system, and a Dolby 5.1 surround sound system is in place and ready for when the space is used as a cinema.
The Hall's exterior is lit with 20 James Thomas PixelPAR 90(A)s illuminating the arches and tower in phase one of a two-part architectural installation. The fixtures are attached discreetly to the walls - 'imperceptibility' being a top priority when choosing the light sources, with the design brief insisting they be 'virtually invisible' to passers-by and local residents.
(Lee Baldock)
