The TivoliVredenburg in central Utrecht, The Netherlands, features seven different music performance spaces and is in the process of having its house and public area lighting upgraded with Anolis Ambiane RGBW LED luminaires. With around 300 fixtures installed so far, approximately 650 Ambianes will be in place when the project is completed. The spectacular building designed by Herman Hertzberger was part of the CU2030 urban redevelopment scheme and opened in 2014.
The fabulous new state-of- the-art dedicated arts and performance complex incorporates Vredenburg, an original live music venue standing on the site since 1979, with six brand new venues, all fully sound-proofed and self-contained, ranging in capacities from 175 to 2000. These include Rhonda, which continues the spirit and vibe of Tivoli, another historically significant Utrecht music club at the heart of the city’s music scene, which closed in 2014.
These venues are busy year-round hosting a lively range of orchestral, acoustic and electronic, rock, pop and jazz music shows and events. TivoliVredenburg’s Technical & Facilities Manager Charles Konings approached Anolis’ Benelux distributor Controllux, looking for a more dynamic lighting solution for the public areas in particular. “We wanted to be able to have colour and create a nice atmosphere in our public areas,” he explained.
He and various producers regularly working there were all convinced that more flexible general lighting would open many possibilities for additional uses – with some public areas already active as event spaces – and improve the overall ambience. Controllux’s Kuno van Velzen recommended the Ambiane RGBW down-lights. It needed to be an LED source with energy efficiency and longevity in mind, as well as colour changing, dimmable and premium quality.
The venues, halls, foyers, walkways, stairwells, bars, cafes, corridors, cloakrooms, etc. required an excellent bright, crisp white for everyday usage and to meet fire regulations, and with this Ambiane upgrade, they can be totally transformed by introducing vibrant or subtle colour for special events and other occasions. Ideal for this ambient lighting application, the fixtures for TivoliVredenburg all have the 63 degree reflector option. The Ambiane is perfect for spaces like this requiring a refined tunable white with a CCT of 6500K and colour changing options.
Twenty-four super-efficient high-powered single chip LED sources and premium reflectors give optimum light output resulting in the Ambiane being able to produce truly dramatic results! There is no UV or IR output, the fixtures are cool running and controllable via both DMX and DALI, plus there is the additional quality assurance underlined with all Anolis products being designed and manufactured in Europe.
The units are being retro-fitted into the same slots that housed the TivoliVredenburg’s old compact fluorescents by the venue’s own installation team. They are controlled via DALI, and integrated into the existing KNX building automation system, and can be recalled by the Hagar SmartPhone App, amongst other methods. Currently, Ambiane’s have been installed in one performance hall, Hertz, a cosy contemporary space at the top of the building optimised for chamber music and classical recitals.
The 6500K colour temperature is ideal for day-to- day use, and they also wanted to have an amber state in there and fade ups / downs over 20 seconds. With the introduction of this and numerous other colour options, the look, feel of the room can be changed at the touch of a button, greatly increasing the versatility.
Every floor in the building has a different base colour, and the colour changing properties of the new scheme has already made a big impact in enhancing these elements. “It’s made a huge difference, instead of a big white non-dimmable light, we now have colour which can be matched to the type of performance taking place or the surrounding décor,” confirmed Charles.
As the installation progresses, the Ambianes are being programmed into the house system by Roy Hars taking into account different requirements from Charles and the individual venue managers. All the time new and different benefits of having adaptable lighting are being discovered. Kuno van Velzen sums up, “The initial building lighting design offered lights with one cold white colour temperature, and to introduce any mood into the foyers, production had to gaffer colour filter onto the celling, which looked scrappy and was no good for emergency situations! Now they can have coloured light whenever they want, good dimming, and both warm and cool white light, all from one highly energy-efficient fixture!”
For more product and general info, please check www.anolis.eu.
