Harlequin Floors has launched Harlequin Liberty Switch, a professional multi-use floor that can be switched from a rigid theatrical floor to a sprung dance floor at the touch of a button.
This innovative and versatile floor has been designed for venues who regularly put on both dance and theatrical performances and so require both a sprung and a rigid floor in the same performance or rehearsal space.
Harlequin Liberty Switch is a modular multi-use floor system comprised of a base unit with the drive and control mechanism topped with a Harlequin Liberty sprung floor. The base units house a series of moving carriages connected by rods running on high-strength carrier rails powered by electric actuators located at the ends of each row. Each actuator and associated controller are linked to a master control unit located off-stage. The upper surfaces of the base units are fitted with wooden battens which align with the sprung elastomer pads of the Harlequin Liberty panel above. The upper panels are standard Harlequin Liberty with the addition of UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) low-friction blocks on the underside.
This new approach has many benefits over the old approach of swapping floors between shows. It transforms between a sprung floor to a rigid floor in minutes, is more cost effective than an equivalent ballet wagon, there are no labour costs in laying and removing a temporary floor and no storage costs.
Harlequin Liberty Switch is a modular system that can be modified to meet any structural design requirements and can be custom designed to incorporate features such as traps, lifts and revolves as required. Areas of the floor can be quickly isolated to create rigid zones for the placement of pianos, scenery or retractable seating while the rest of the floor is used as a sprung dance floor.
Operation of the Harlequin Liberty Switch floor system is via a hard-wired master control unit. This can be integrated with most existing stage control or building management systems. A wireless control system with remote monitoring can be specified if required.
