Arts Depot, Finchley, North London

ARTS DEPOT, FINCHLEY, NORTH LONDON

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

THE PENTLAND THEATRE

The main theatre design with the adaptable auditorium floor and it’s flexible stage machinery allows for three quite different internal formats to be set-up:

A raked seated stalls and tiered balcony provides a conventional end-stage auditorium for theatre, music, dance, drama and conference presentations with a capacity of 400 seats.
A lowered and flat floor stalls, with seating removed, allows for standing concerts with some surrounding and fixed balcony seats and a total capacity of 500.
A flat floored stalls allows for banqueting, exhibitions, dance, music and activities that require a large internal flat floor of 320 sq metres.

A fly tower is provided over the main stage, containing thirty single-purchase counterweight flying sets for lighting, scenery and acoustic ceiling panels along with five electro-mechanical winch sets for stage masking.
The performance area can be framed at each side by portable stage towers. The stage towers will change the width of the stage and can be moved up/downstage to adjust the depth. The stage towers can be removed altogether to allow for maximum stage space and concert mode.
The main front of house lighting positions are located above a tensioned wire floor which allows able bodied and wheelchair-bound technicians to safely use the equipment. Lights can also point in the opposite direction to the stage when required to light into the flat floor stalls.
The auditorium is provided with a combined lighting and sound control at the rear stalls level; a projection room at the balcony level and four follow spot positions at the technical lighting level.

ACOUSTICS

The Auditorium has a reverberation time of 1.25 seconds at 500Hz: the shape of the reverberation frequency curve is progressive, that is to say the low frequency reverberation times are slightly longer and the high frequency reverberation times slightly shorter.

The sidewalls are designed to present a diffusing surface to incident sound waves, preventing strong specular reflections that could be audible as echoes.

The balcony fronts are shaped and tilted to prevent direct reflection back onto the stage.

The flytower incorporates orchestral reflectors overhead that can be deployed to partially close off the overhead opening into the tower and reflect sound directly into the auditorium.

The dimensions of the Pentland Theatre are such that reflected sound paths from all surfaces are relatively short, leading to a fairly intimate ambience for music. Initial trials by the BBC Concert Orchestra have found favourable acoustics in this auditorium.

OPERATING POLICY
The operation of the Arts Depot is as a ‘receiving house’ i.e. as a venue presenting product touring throughout the United Kingdom. The programme is planned also to include for the use of the theatre spaces by Community Focus, Barnet College and local amateur groups.

STUDIO THEATRE

The Studio Theatre is a fixed format theatre where staging flexibility is included in the adjustable forestage planned particularly for presentation to very small children.

The studio theatre capacity is 150 seats in a crescent-shaped, tiered auditorium.

The stage and auditorium are designed as a single room space with an open-plan lighting and sound control room adjustable height scenery and lighting bars and follow spot positions at gallery level.
ACOUSTICS

The auditorium has a reverberation time of 0.8 seconds at 500Hz when fully occupied.

Finishes are fairly simple comprising painted blockwork walls, exposed concrete ceiling soffit and linoleum covered timber floors. Specific acoustic treatment to control reverberation and reflections has been installed in the form of industrial type wall absorption and acoustic ceiling tiles at the rear over the control area.

The shape of the studio theatre will help prevent strong reflections building up between opposite surfaces.

WHEELCHAIR PLACES IN EACH AUDITORIUM

Access for members of the audience and theatre staff who rely on the use of a wheelchair will find that their requirements are embedded in the design of the Arts Depot, both in the public and non-public areas and backstage facilities.

In each auditorium places have been specifically designed for those in wheelchairs. Such locations have been selected on the need to provide good sightlines and ease of access and egress. Technical facilities are also provided for those with hearing and visual impairment.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

The Pentland Theatre and the Studio Theatre have been designed by ACT Consultant Services in conjunction with architects Ruddle Wilkinson and with the client/user represented by the Arts Depot Trust.

The provision of these two theatres and related arts spaces has been as part of the overall development on the site by the London Borough of Barnet, Taylor Woodrow Properties Ltd and Chiltern Investment Properties Ltd.

DESIGN TEAM

ArchitectsRuddle Wilkinson

Theatre DesignACT Consultant Services

QS/Project ManagersGardiner and Theobald

Structural EngineersWalsh Associates

Mechanical & Electrical EngineersWSP North Limited

Acoustic ConsultantsCole Jarman Associates

Fire ConsultantDr Gordon Cooke

Fire EngineeringWSP Fire

Principal ContractorMJ Gleeson Group plc

SPECIALIST THEATRE EQUIPMENT CONTRACTORS

Theatre Stage EngineeringDelstar Engineering Ltd

Stage LightingNorthern Light

Theatre Sound and CommunicationsRK Sound Engineering

Pentland Theatre SeatingRace Furniture

Studio Theatre Seating and Stage RostraSteeldeck

Cablenet Safety Flooring SystemSlingco Limited

Stage DrapesGerriets Great Britain Limited

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ARTS DEPOT, FINCHLEY, NORTH LONDON

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

THE PENTLAND THEATRE

Seating capacity, in total400

Stalls only, fully seated269

Stalls capacity for a standing and dancing audience 320

Stalls surround seating 48

Balcony131

Wheelchair positions in the stalls4

Wheelchair positions in the balcony4

Fire regulations, stalls level500 maximum

Fire regulations, balcony level131 maximum

ADAPTABLE STALLS FLOOR

The main part of the stalls has an adaptable floor 10.9 metres x 12.1 metres wide.

The adaptable floor can be raked at 1:12 (or 5 degrees) and produce a stage riser of 900mm.

The adaptable floor can be flat and when raised to its highest level will join the foyer/entry level to the stage.

The adaptable floor can be flat and lowered 1100mm below stage level for use by a standing audience.

The adaptable floor, forestage elevator and main stage are all timber finished with Country Grade Maple.

PORTABLE SEATING

Seating on the adaptable floor is arranged on four carpeted seat wagons, which can be stored directly under the auditorium when not required. The seat wagons are moved using a combination of air film technology and friction drive motors integral to each unit. The wagons are raised/lowered between store and auditorium using the forestage elevator.

The adaptable floor contains a compensating elevator to allow the area of the seating wagons to be lowered by 250 mm so their surface is flush with the surrounding access floor.

FORESTAGE ELEVATOR or orchestra pit

Plan dimension of 3.00 x 9.975 metres

Vertical travel 3.85 metres, speed 1.8 metres/minute

Orchestra pit floor level set 1.8 metres max below stage

Trapped floor, four panels each 1.2 metres square

STAGE

Proscenium fixed Opening 13.9 metres maximum

WingsClear 2.225 metres right and 2.370 metres left

Stage depthDepth of the fixed stage 9.2 metres

Forestage 3.00 metres bringing the main stage to 12.2 metres deep

OverstageBetween galleries 13.9 metres

Maximum flying bar height 14.8 metres

Underside grid steels 15 metres

Stage floorCountry grade maple and Harlequin Reversible covering.

Proscenium adjustable: Adjustable full height towers 6.4m can reduce the proscenium opening to 10.8 metres. The towers are moved on air film and can be stored in the workshop when not required.

FLYING30 sets of single purchase counterweights are operated from the fly gallery stage right & loaded from two galleries

Capacity 600 kg each set with 3 at 800kg for the acoustic reflectors

Bar length 13.6 metres on six lines

4 sets of 6-line pile-on winch electromechanically operated masking sets

6 manually operated 4-line hemp sets

ORCHESTRA REFLECTOR: A manually adjustable three-part orchestra reflector with integral down-lighting is provided over the main stage on counterweight sets 8, 14 and 23.

STAGE MASKING: The Theatre is equipped with a full set of masking drapes including house curtain, mid-stage travellers, upstage cyclorama (white and black), side stage legs and over stage borders, and up/downstage black box masking for concerts.

VEHICLE ACCESS: An unloading bay is provided at ground floor level, under cover of the building, which can accept one vehicle up to 16m long. Within 15 metres of the vehicle unloading point is a scenery lift internal 6.6m long, 3m wide and with 2.3m clear height doors. The scenery lift accesses all key Arts Depot levels

GET-INStage left from scenery store and goods lift to ground

floor vehicle bay.

ACCESS EQUIPMENT: Each stage is shares a range of access equipment including one Tallescope and Zarges ladder.

PRODUCTION LIGHTINGStrand 530i plus remote control of SLD96 series dimmers

160 x 15A dimmers

12 x 25A dimmers

26 x 15A Non-dimmed circuits

28 x DMX outlets

8 x house light dimmers

LUMINAIRES76 no ETC Source 4 15/30 degree zoom profile lanterns (24 with Rainbow colour changers)
20no ETC Source 4 19° fixed beam profile lanterns
(4 with Rainbow colour changers

12 no. ETC Source 4 26° fixed beam profile lanterns

(4 with Rainbow colour changers)
24no. Selecon 1200 fresnel lanterns

32 no. Vision PAR 64 (8 with Rainbow colour changers)
6no. Selecon Aurora 3-way cyc lights

6no Varilite VL 1000 TSD
2 no Robert Juliat 1419CS followspots
4no Manfrotto 145U push up lighting stands and Doughty Tee bars/Thomas TV spigot

STAGE MANAGEMENTPrompt corner stage right – stage manager’s desk `controlling 14 cue lights, paging to dressing rooms, technical areas and front of house and houselight controls.

SOUND EQUIPMENTCONTROL ROOM

Midas Verona 400 mixing desk

Marantz CD player

Marantz cassette player

Sony mini disc recorder

Signal patch panels

2 Yamaha MSP-3 active loudspeakers

1 x Lexicon MPX1 Multi-effects processor.

LOUDSPEAKERSCENTRAL CLUSTER

2 x Meyer UPA-2P loudspeakers

SIDE FILLS

2 x Meyer UPM-1P loudspeakers

2no Meyer UMS-1P subwoofers

STAGE FRONT NEAR FIELD MONITORS

6no EAW UB12

STAGE PORTABLE SPEAKERS

2 x Meyer CQ-1 active full-range loudspeakers

MICROPHONESFront of Main Stage - 5 Crown PCC-160
Short Gun Microphones – 2 AKG C568 EB

Vocal Hand Microphones – 2 Shure SM58

Instrument Microphones – 2 Shure Beta 57A and 2 Shure SM57

K&M microphone stands – 3 x 20130 black or nickel stands, 3 x 21090 black stands with two piece boom arm and 3 x 23300 Banquet stands
Radio Microphones – 4 x Sennheiser 500 G2 and 4 x bodysets and 4 x handsets.

ACCESSORIESBeyer DT100 headphones

BACKSTAGEBackstage facilities accessible to disabled performers and staff. 2 dressing rooms each to accommodate 8 persons, 2 dressing rooms each to accommodate 2 persons plus additional spaces for musicians and children. Changing facilities are available close to the performance stage. Laundry facilities are provided. Access to a further 12 dressing room places designated for the Studio Theatre are available subject to programming.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPiano

FACILITIES FOR SENSORY IMPAIRED

(under final development)Infrared hearing assistance system with multi-channel capacity, allowing, in addition to hearing enhancement, audio description for people with visual impairment with potential for more than one language.

Backstage video points in dressing rooms and backstage areas allowing relay of information via video monitors to disabled performers, carers and technicians

STUDIO THEATRE

Seating capacity, in total150

Wheelchair positions12

STAGE Crescent shaped with adjustable forestage

Main fixed stagePlaying area 9.0 metres wide x 5.15 metres deep

ForestagePlaying area width 7.0 metres wide x 3.0 deep, Nivoflex

WingsClear 2.5 metres left and right

OverstageBetween galleries 11.4 metres

Maximum flying bar height 5 metres

GET-INCentre up-stage from scenery store and adjacent goods lift to ground floor vehicle bay.

OVERSTAGE SUSPENSION18 sets of ladder bars each on 4 lines from motorised pile on winch sets on upper gallery stage left

Capacity 500 kg

Bar length 9.0 metres

PRODUCTION LIGHTINGStrand 300 plus remote control of SLD96 dimmers

118 x 15A dimmers

18 x 15A non-dimmed circuits

16 x DMX outlets

4 x house light dimmers

STAGE MANAGEMENTPaging to back-stage from control room and downstage

left, ring intercom and video to all key technical areas

LUMINAIRES26 no ETC Source 4 Junior 25/50° zoom profile lanterns

6 no ETC Source 4 15/30° zoom profile lanterns
18 no Selecon Acclaim F Lanterns

6 no Selecon High Performance 1200 fresnel lanterns
12 no Selecon Aclaim cyc lights

2 Robert Juliat 1419CS followspots

SOUNDCONTROL ROOM

Allen and Heath GL3300 mixing desk.

Marantz CD player

Marantz cassette player

Sony mini disc recorder

LOUDSPEAKERS2 x Meyer UPM-1P overheads

2 x Meyer CQ-1 active full-range loudspeakers
for stage use

ACCESSORIESBeyer DT100 headphones

Radio microphones shared with Pentland Theatre list

Cable microphones shared with Pentland Theatre list

Microphone stands and accessories shared with Pentland Theatre list

BACKSTAGEBackstage facilities accessible to disabled performers and staff.

2 dressing rooms to accommodate 12 in total plus

use of Pentland Theatre dressing rooms subject to programming.

FACILITIES FOR SENSORY IMPAIRED

Backstage video points in dressing room and backstage areas allowing relay of information via monitors to disabled performers, carers and technicians

Animation of the adaptable floor may be viewed on ACT’s website:

Contact details:

RUDDLE WILKINSON

84 Lincoln Road, PETERBOROUGH, Cambridgeshire PE1 2SW

p: 01733 314314 f: 01733 314090 e:

ACT CONSULTANT SERVICES

The Old Wood Mill, Church Lane, Madingley, Cambridge CB3 8AF

p: 01954 210766 f: 01954 211466 e:

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