Back To the Future - GDS ArcLamp Pioneers Way Forward at Savoy Theatre

In 1881, The Savoy Theatre on the Strand in London's West End opened its doors for the first time. As well as at the time being regarded as the most beautifully fitted theatre in Europe, it staked a claim to fame that would assure its place in history forever. Built by Richard D'Oyly Carte to showcase the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, The Savoy was the first public building in the world to be entirely illuminated by electric light. Across the years the theatre has hosted a plethora of highly prestigious productions. From performances by The RSC and English National Ballet to plays by Coward and Stoppard, The Savoy's illustrious roll-call goes on an on. The D'Oyly Carte company keeps the Gilbert and Sullivan connection alive and currently the smash hit musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels plays to full houses. In common with many theatres of its age and type The Savoy recently embarked upon a program of works to address its environmental impact while at the same time improving its customer experience. It should come as no surprise, given its status in history, that The Savoy, of all theatres, chose a pioneering way ahead.

The theatre wished to replace its existing house-light system, which comprised traditional 40-60W tungsten candle-lamps and cold cathode tubing, with an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly system. The new system was to be retro-fitted with no impact on the fabric of this historic site. Given the spectacular nature of the interior, the installation was to replicate as closely as possible the way in which the auditorium had traditionally been lit, in order that the detailed architectural features could be seen to best advantage. The original requirement was for a wireless system throughout and to this end the management at the Savoy invited GDS in conjunction with installers White Light to consult over the best way forward. A further specific requirement of the project was that the house lights should be controllable from the stage door area as well as from the auditorium, for the convenience of staff closing the theatre at the end of a working day.

In order to exactly satisfy the demands of the brief, GDS released its brand new ArcLamp product into the fray. These are 4.8W LED candle-lamps in both clear and frosted types. The existing 40-60W tungsten candle lamps were replaced by equivalent ArcLamp fittings, and the cold cathode tubing (around for example the ceiling edges) was replaced by LED strip with GDS' exclusive Wireless Constant Voltage Drivers. The final piece in the ArcSystem jigsaw, ArcLamp allowed the application of a solution that had been hitherto impossible to attain. The lighting on the circle fronts, for example, could in theory have been replaced with existing mains LED options, but crucially, these options could not be fully and uniformly dimmed from 100 to 0. ArcSystem technology enables this smooth, uniform dimming to be achieved and so the creation of ArcLamp combines the capacity to retain the integrity of the feature-lighting (only possible with a candle lamp in such settings) with perfect dimming, the company says. In total, a combination of 269 clear and frosted ArcLamp fittings were installed at the Savoy, wirelessly driven by 52 D4 drivers via 2 transmitters, controlled from 3 x 8 button panels. The requirement that the system could also be controlled from the stage door area presented a different challenge. The great distance from the auditorium to the stage door prevented the use of a wireless signal and so with a typical example of on-the-spot problem solving, GDS modified one of the 8 button panels to run as wired rather than wireless from this location.

Installation was achieved from start to finish inside two weeks; the results at the Savoy are stunning. As well as the theatre acknowledging a 90% energy saving, the warm light offered by both the ArcLamp fittings and LED strips highlights the beautiful interior of the theatre--the gold frontages and painted ceiling--in a way that surpasses all that went before, while remaining completely faithful to the way in which the detail was designed to be illuminated, the company says. Add to this the capacity for the system to be dimmed consistent with 21st century expectations and the package is complete. How appropriate that The Savoy Theatre, itself synonymous with lighting innovation should be the location for another GDS first.

Matt Lloyd, managing director at GDS was characteristically enthused: "To our knowledge ArcLamp is the world's first low voltage candle-lamp which dims from one hundred to zero absolutely smoothly. Fundamentally, up to this point that was simply not possible and that's what makes this development such an exciting achievement. ArcLamp completes the whole ArcSystem picture for us and opens up a world of possibilities. The results at the Savoy Theatre speak for themselves and it is fitting that our latest innovation should find a home in a venue of such historical magnitude."

Simon Needle, special projects director at White Light Ltd: "The ArcLamp fixtures are show stealers. To have created a low voltage candle-lamp that can be retro-fitted somewhere like The Savoy Theatre and not only be quickly and easily installed but also offers the kind of dimming control that it does, is some achievement. The ArcLamp fixtures enable the theatre to stay true to the intentions of its original interior designers while the warmth of the light actually enhances the outcomes they were seeking. Energy costs are reduced to a fraction without compromising any aspects of the theatre's wonderful character. A win/win if ever there was one."

Join GDS as it celebrates its tenth birthday at The ABTT Show--June 11 and 12 at The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London.

For more information contact the UK sales team at: +44 (0) 117 325 0063, sales@gds.uk.com, or visit: