Royal Albert Hall: Lighting Upgrade

The Project

As one of London’s most iconic venues, the Grade I listed Royal Albert Hall has an extraordinary past and rich history dating back over 150 years. Aiming to enrich people’s lives, this venue strives to inspire the next generation of artists and audiences by offering a welcoming, accessible and sustainable hub for inspiration. To uphold their high standards and provide the best possible experience for their visitors and guests, their lighting technology needs to continuously evolve in tandem with the needs of the theatre.

The Brief

As part of their recent renovations, Royal Albert Hall required an upgrade of their existing lighting system, involving the replacement of their production lighting, house lighting, dimmable fixtures and control system. Having partnered with the venue for over a decade, d&b solutions were well versed in the complex layers and distinct features of this unique heritage building, so were able to design and engineer a technical solution that perfectly aligned with the theatre’s requirements.

The Solution

ETC ArcSystem Navis luminaires were installed on the walls for flawlessly smooth and synchronised fade to and from zero. Not only renowned for their reliability and dimming curve, but these trusted fixtures blend beautifully with fade to warm technology. ETC Arc lamps replaced the box front lighting, with their ceramic bases customised to mimic the look of brass and match the interior detail.

Appearing in the distinct form of ornate half-moon shells, the heritage sconce lamp holders are a characteristic feature of the architectural design and embedded in the fabric of this building. Each lamp was refurbished with LED lights to create a stunning aura that stayed true to the original fittings and remained authentic to the notable look of this historic theatre.

For ultimate dimming control, the sunDial quad dmx 1k is a DMX/RDM controlled mains dimmer uses trailing edge technology, which provides smooth results and exceptional performance even at very low intensities. Backstage, a bespoke system was installed with working white and blue lights with additional connectivity to the theatre’s emergency lighting.