Multi-Art-Form Complex, Home, Installs GDS's ArcSystem

	Home in Manchester, UK with GDS's ArcSystem

Predicted to receive half a million visits per year, Home is a new multi-art-form complex in the heart of Manchester, UK, and is part of Manchester's First Street regeneration scheme. Formed by a merger of the Library Theatre Company and The Cornerhouse, Home features a 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat flexible theatre, five cinema screens, a gallery space, digital production and broadcast facilities, and a café bar and restaurant. A distinctive triangular shape with rounded corners and glass facades, this eye-catching building, designed by Mecanoo is central to the creation of a new cultural and commercial quarter that is fast developing in the surrounding area, and that looks set to bring even more jobs and further investment into the city. A measure of Home's importance to Manchester is summed up by Sir Richard Leese, leader of the City Council who stated that: "Home is not just First Street's cultural heart but is acting as a catalyst to further transformation of the area, attracting other investment and jobs and making a significant contribution to the vibrant mix which makes Manchester a desirable place to be for residents, visitors, and businesses alike."

At a cost of £25million, Home is the largest combined arts center outside London and its design placed a premium upon energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. GDS was approached by contractors Dodds Group to supply a design for lighting multiple spaces within the complex. These included its main 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat studio theatre, and five cinemas. After detailed consultation across a number of months, GDS in-house architectural lighting specialist Paul Johnson used DIALux software to prepare a fully costed ArcSystem design which Dodds Group approved. GDS distributor Stage Electrics supplied the products as well as being part of the project management and commissioning team.

Almost 150 ArcSystem fittings were used throughout the project all wirelessly controlled using GDS's ArcMesh protocol. The majority of the fittings comprised one-cell 2,700K 27-degree black recessed fixed but a smaller number of more powerful four-cell round 2,700K 60-degree fixtures were used in the theatre and studio.

The installation of ArcSystem at Home in Manchester provides yet further evidence of its ever widening scope. Given its reputation in the theatre world, the choice of ArcSystem in both such spaces within a brand new complex might almost be expected but the extension of its use into the cinema spaces is certainly an added dimension. As ArcSystem continues to strengthen its position as the sustainable choice for low energy house-lighting in a host of auditoria all over the world, so it is fast becoming seen as an ideal solution in an increasing diversity of applications. The benefits and advantages offered by ArcSystem's superb light quality, perfect dimming and huge energy saving are no longer the preserve of the theatre alone.

For Jasper Gilbert, technical director and head of production at Home, ArcSystem ticked every box: "First and foremost, the quality of light offered by ArcSystem throughout all the spaces at Home is superb and contributes to a first-rate experience for users of the theatres and cinemas. It's something that has been remarked upon by many visitors. Equally significantly, the system combines low maintenance with exceptional energy savings, serving to keep down costs and reduce our environmental impact. There is no doubt that we are in a win-win situation with ArcSystem."

GDS managing director Matt Lloyd takes a moment to reflect: "Within the world of theatre, ArcSystem is no stranger to diversity of application. Whether as part of a brand new build or being retro-fitted into some of the finest historic venues in the world, ArcSystem has been developed and adapted to meet the range of challenges that these vastly different spaces present. What's exciting about recent developments is that it's clear that ArcSystem is beginning to make its mark in facilities outside the theatrical landscape. In recent times we've seen it utilized in TV studios and now of course, multiple cinemas in the Home project. The demand for sustainable solutions is ever growing and the cost benefits of investing in this technology are now as well-proven as the dramatic improvement in light quality it can offer. Integrators clearly no longer see ArcSystem as an exclusively theatre-based solution. Our in-house specialist design capabilities, which rest in the hands of an architect, are of the highest order, so by combining this expertise with our technological know-how, there are no real constraints on where we can go. ArcSystem is branching out and bearing fruit."