ArcSystem is Diamond Solution for Queen's Hall

	Queen's Hall

In 2014, Copenhagen was the European Union's Green Capital, recognized for its leading contribution to environmental sustainability. In 2015, the honour comes to the UK having been awarded to Bristol. When a landmark cultural center in Copenhagen needed a sustainable lighting solution, its local integrator directed it to UK specialists GDS...in Bristol!

The eye-catching Black Diamond cultural center in Copenhagen is a modern waterfront extension to the old Royal Danish Library building. Earning its quasi-official nickname from its polished black granite cladding and irregular angles, it houses a number of public facilities, centerd around its top-lit atrium. One of the main features of the center is The Queen's Hall, a 600-seat auditorium used for a variety of events ranging from classical and jazz concerts to literary events and conferences. From an audio perspective, the hall's cutting-edge acoustic modeling allows for sound reinforcement that can be adjusted to the specific requirements of the type of music being played. This in theory made the venue ideal for the recording of classical music but the existing lighting system rendered this impossible owing to the noise it generated. In fact, the hall's authorities had, with little success, sought a noise-free, user-friendly house lighting solution since its opening in 1999. Lighting designer Hans Henrik Schmidt of Bico Professional was approached for help and as GDS's supplier in Denmark was confident that a solution to the prevailing problem could finally be found.

From the outset, the brief demanded that the light output, color temperature, and light expression of the new system remained exactly the same as the existing halogen installation. In addition, the varied program in the hall meant that the lighting would need regular, sometimes daily re-programming and so had to be easy to operate. A low energy system was an absolute requirement. The lights in The Queens Hall are on from early morning until late at night to enable visitors to The Royal Library to view the interior of the hall through a panoramic window. With this in mind, the aim was to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Over the course of just two working days the old fixtures were removed and more than 100 ArcSystem fixtures, wirelessly controlled through GDS's ArcMesh protocol, were installed on three-phase Eurotrack system. Given the large number of wireless fixtures, the company says programming the system was potentially tricky but was also completed comfortably on schedule. In close communication with Bico Professional throughout the project, GDS developed bespoke tophats and wash reflectors in order that the new system complied with the requirement to accurately preserve the hall's aesthetic.

Schmidt of Bico Professional explained the impact of ArcSystem: "For more than 10 years the customer and I had tried to find a lighting system that could meet both the technical and visual demands of The Queen's Hall and that search ended with ArcSystem. The customer is delighted with the outcome. The fact that the cost of the installation can be offset against huge savings in energy consumption adds even greater value. GDS offered great support and responded quickly and efficiently to customise some of the fixtures and offer assistance with any issues that arose. When we completed the work, we were able to congratulate each other on a job well done."

Matt Lloyd, managing director of GDS was happy that ArcSystem had once again proven an unqualified success: "It's hugely gratifying that not only is ArcSystem fulfilling its brief at The Queen's Hall but that at a stroke, overcame issues that had for so long prevented the venue from being used to its full potential. It was very important to the customer that in overcoming the inherent problems caused by the existing halogen system, the visual integrity of the hall remained unaltered. By customizing some of the ArcSystem fixtures we were able to achieve this and so deliver all the stated aims of the system. The Queens Hall's is now in shape to fully exploit the full range of its facilities and is of course enjoying huge cost savings in respect of its energy consumption."

The company says, GDS, from its base in this year's Green Capital of Europe continues to deepen its imprint, its ArcSystem technology paving the way to a swiftly-installed, sustainable, beautifully lit (and fully dimmable) future for its global customers.