latest news headlines
PAI Plays The Game at the Opera House Casino Scarborough
PAI and sister company Lighting Technology Projects (LTP) have completed the design, specification and commissioning of an integrated sound and AV solution and specification of interior and exterior architectural lighting at the Opera House Casino, Scarborough.
The venue is one of the most successful independently owned casinos in the country, and is a complete new build on the footprint of the former old Royal Opera House Theatre, which had a colourful history dating back to the 19th century.
After many years of dereliction, the old building was demolished in 2004 and replaced with a new construction designed by architects Frame International. Frame also created the interior design and asked PAI onboard to work closely alongside them on the specification of a complete technical infrastructure.
PAI’s Paul Adams, LTP’s Terry Reeves and Frame International collaborated to ensure that the aesthetic elements blended seamlessly into one coherent overall contemporary vision. Frame has a penchant for utilising light rather than paint to create mood, ambience, colour and texture – and this project was no exception.
The result: the Opera House is a completely relaxed, modern environment – a far cry from a “hard gambling” institution - with some classic theatrical touches including a strong sense of colour.
Twenty-three 42 inch plasma screens are installed throughout the Opera House – which includes the main gaming room and Rosie’s Bar and lounge on the ground floor and a restaurant, lounge and private dining room upstairs.
Two additional plasmas in the foyer area provide separate channels of TV advertising running a user-updatable Inspiration Matters “Inspired Signage” package. This is delivered from a two channel media player specified by PAI, and this content can also be patched to other screens in the venue if desired.
A 10 foot motorised screen and a 3,000 Lumen projector at the back of Rosie’s Bar provides an area for special events and presentations. “We wanted to make it as flexible as possible,” says Paul Adams.
PAI also installed the 8 channel TV network that delivers a combination of video sources that are patchable to any destination.
Downstairs in the main gaming room, the clients wanted to make a statement with a video feature flanking the bar. Frame International provided the design for two elegant portrait format video screens and Paul Adams came up with the technical solution. These are fed by fed by four Samsung projectors - two per screen – using an edge-blending solution covering top and bottom sections of the screen respectively, making one complete image.
Eye-catching bespoke content was commissioned by PAI and produced by Inspiration Matters, comprising slickly silhouetted Bond Girls gyrating against a backdrop of fire. This is stored on and replayed by another Inspired Signage player.
PAI designed a background music sound system consisting of TOA speakers to cover all areas of the venue evenly. This is split into eight different areas via a Cloud 8 channel zoner, and takes input from a variety of sources including DVD and CD players.
In front of the main bar in the main gaming room is a small area with a grand piano which is utilised for live performance and presentations. This has its own independent flown PA system above, also featuring TOA speakers, complete with a small mixer built into the main audio rack.
LTP’s Terry Reeves was asked by Frame Associates to specify a series of specialist indoor and outdoor architectural lighting products to produce the colours and type of lighting they wished to use. LTP also drew up the system design schematic from which the electrical contractor worked during the actual fit up.
The venue’s owner/operators, Nikolas and Becky Shaw were also integrally involved in the development of the lighting, and examined every fixture themselves, all of which had to be to the highest specifications.
In the reception and bar areas, LTP specified 120 blue in-ground stainless steel Lumos3 LED fittings. The light from these catches the extruded sections of the ribbed walls and is thrown outwards and upwards, filling the whole space. This theatrical nuance is intended as a mood setter for anyone entering the Casino.
In the main gaming room, Reeves recommended 24 ColorKinetics ColorBlast 12 colour changing LED RGB floods which are up-lighting the main feature wall, fitted into a large trough running around the room. Control is via a CK i-Player running the ColorPlay light authoring software.
Outside, the main entrance is on one of Scarborough’s main thoroughfares and busiest roads. The local planning department insisted that the front blended into Scarborough’s cityscape, and there is now a 20 metre wide opaque glass canopy running the full width of the building. It’s illuminated with a full linear run of 3 Watt colour-changing Lumos LED strips.
Above this, the main façade is up-lit with four ColorBlast 12 floods. There are also a series of forty 1 Watt warm white LEDs – either recessed or contained in surface mounted stainless steel housings – highlighting assorted architectural features on the building.
On the side elevation, 12 clear-lensed ColorBlast 12 fixtures light the ceiling canopy which has a 30 metre overhang. Meyer Superlight floods with anti-glare louvers are fitted to cross-light the steel finish across the wall.
The rear corner of the building which adjoins a car park, also features the Casino’s key exterior visual feature - an eye-catching steel sculptural “Rocket” – that glows in the dark, acting as a guiding beacon to anyone looking for the venue or needing to get their bearings. It’s become a great local talking point!. The Rocket is totally decorative and is currently lit with magenta Meyer Superlights, with plans to upgrade to colour changing LEDs at a later date.
Terry Reeves comments: “It was an extremely challenging project. Both the owners and Frame International were very precise about what they wanted and the ambience and feel that they expected to create through lighting. We spent much time and energy on getting it right for them. It was highly motivating and fun to work with others who realise the huge potential of mood and feature lighting as part of their environment.”
31st May 2006
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
