paramount

PARAMOUNT
VENUE
VENUE
CHINA
SHANGHAI
There’s no need to ask why this venue is unique. Paramount is
one of the oldest established dance clubs on the planet and was
already an institution in the 1930s.
These days an ornate signboard in the lobby offers “Tea time
Dancing” in the dancing hall from 13:00 to 16:30 for 80RMB
including tea, water and live jazz band; female dancing partners
25RMB for 10 minutes and male dancing partners 400RMB (just
over US$53) per hour. Alas, there were no positions available so
mondo*dr proceeded to photograph the disco on the 2nd and 3rd
floors.
First established in 1932 and built by a group of Chinese bankers,
Paramount was designed by architect Yang Xiqiu in flamboyant art
deco style and completed just a few years after New York City’s
Empire State Building. An unknown poet (perhaps a talented PR
chap) then wrote “In the night with bright moon and few stars, the
colourful lighting in Paramount is like silk; smooth and soft”. The
Paramount was, according to Australian historian Andrew Field,
“considered the finest ballroom in Asia by many who visited it
during the 1930s”.
Since that time Paramount has been through various trials and
tribulations such as Cultural Revolutions and becoming a gathering
place for nefarious spies from nearby nations. Charlie Chaplin
even dropped by once. In the mid 50s it was shut down and
later reopened as the Red Capitol Cinema with “appropriate
socialist programming”. Then in 2001, Zhao Shichong, a Taiwanese
entrepreneur, came to the rescue with a multi million-dollar
investment.
The renovation was apparently a protracted but careful process,
fully completed just a few months ago. The stately ballroom is now
on the 4th floor. After a quick look in, it appears to have been
faithfully reborn in a commendable semblance to its previous
074
November / December 2007
WORDS & PICS: JIMMIE WING
November / December 2007
075
VENUE
VENUE
CHINA
The main room with laser systems by Acropro and moving heads from Clay
Paky and Studio Due (controlled by an Avolites Pearl 2004)
incarnation, mid afternoon Tea-time dancing in full swing. Do
subwoofers intrude upon their evening sessions? On the 2nd and
3rd floors a sparkling new disco awaits.
The new concept is “live space and party room in mind” created
by international architects with leading audio and visual pros from
China, Taiwan and Italy. The new improved Paramount covers
2,000m2, eight-metre high ceilings, a stage area that can be seen
from any corner plus 360-degree lasers and maneuverable dance
floors.
ACROPRO [Laser Lighting Sound] based in Shanghai, designed,
supplied and installed the magnificent entertainment system,
which very largely consists of ACROPRO PowerLight 3 Watt full
colour RGB laser displays, 10 screen projectors, Clay Paky lighting
and Outline audio systems. Design and construction for the
sound, lighting laser and LED systems was undertaken by James
Yu of ACROPRO. The entire main disco room lighting system is
designed using Clay Paky products working in astounding visual
harmony with the projectors and laser, all incorporated into a
totally new installation. Not only does Paramount have one of
China’s finest club lighting systems, it has that alarming rarity,
skilled operators who know how to use it. Under the guidance of
Technical Director, Janus Yu, James’ brother, the lighting operators
are able to exploit their equipment to its full potential; to the
delight of punters and demanding photographers.
The interior space was designed by Kuo-Chin Yang and Frank Hsu
of Herpiin Space Plan & Design.
The main disco features one of Outline’s most elaborate club
installs in Asia. Each VIP room is equipped with two Outline DVS
8s and a SUB TECH 218 to go with the karaoke system. The
076
November / December 2007
VENUE
VENUE
CHINA
The smaller disco room features Outline speakers, branded Butterfly for
the Chinese market. Coemar ProSpots, controlled by a Pulsar Masterpiece
216, provide the lighting. Right: the main disco room
smaller disco room not only has enviable Outline specs, but also
Mackie monitors for the DJs and a Coemar lighting system.
The venue features some of Italy’s finest; a quick look at the
tech specs shows lighting from Clay Paky, Coemar, Studio Due,
and sound from Outline (known as Outline Butterfly in China).
Apparently this is pure coincidence as, according to ACROPRO,
the whole lighting system was designed on Clay Paky products as
a base, especially for the main hall, because the Clay Paky brand
is worthy and reliable. Studio Due CS4s were selected for their
stage effect and DMX controlled stage light beam. On the premise
of budget & quality, Coemar Prospot 250s were chosen for the
smaller, more compact disco room.
How did Outline come to be involved in the project? According
to ACROPRO, from the very early stages of planning, Managing
Director James Yu, wanted to use the Butterfly series as he
considers the sound quality to be outstanding and unmatched.
078
November / December 2007
November / December 2007
079
VENUE
VENUE
CHINA
He asked Outline to provide the relative assistance and sound
system design concept accordingly.
Before the grand opening just a few months ago, Giorgio Biffi,
Outline’s Vice President/International Sales & Marketing Director,
was personally on site with ACROPRO to do the final sound
check.
Hats off to Outline, who with deft alacrity, renamed themselves
“Outline Butterfly” in China to match their elegant line-array
series. The install at Paramount, Shanghai’s perennial dance palace,
is the perfect showcase for their products and proof that, even
with imitators abound, there is a real demand for quality originals.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
LIGHTING
MAIN ROOM: 6 x Studio Due CS4; 12 x Clay Paky Alpha Spot
Easy1200; 23 x Clay Paky Stage Light 300; 1 x Avolite x Pearl
2004; 4 x Acropro: RGB laser PowerLight3000
SMALL DISCO ROOM: 8 x Coemar Prospot 250; 1 x Pulsar
Masterpiece™ 216 lighting controller
SOUND
STAGE: 1 x Yamaha LS-9 Digital 32-channel mixer; 1 x Outline
T4 amplifier; 1 x Outline T44 amplifier; 6 x Outline DVS 15 stage
monitor
MAIN SOUND SYSTEMS: 1 x dbx DriveRack 480 digital
processer; 1 x Outline Genius 26 speaker digital processer; 10
x Outline T6.5 amplifier; 12 x Outline Hi-Pack BTF C.D.H. 483
main speaker; 8 x OUTLINE Sub Tech 218 subwoofer;
AUX SOUND SYSTEM: 1 x Outline Genius 6 speaker digital
processer; 1 x Outline Genius 26 speaker digital processer;
2 x Outline T4 amplifier; 2 x Outline T6.5 amplifier; 4 x Outline
Bomber loudspeaker
CHILL OUT ROOM: 1 x dbx DriveRack 260 digital processer;
1 x Outline Genius 6 speaker digital processer; 1 x Outline
T4 amplifier; 2 x Outline T6.5 amplifier; 2 x Outline Bomber
loudspeaker; 2 x Outline TopSub subwoofer
SMALL DISCO ROOM: 1 x Outline Genius 26 processor; 1 x
Outline T4 amp; 2 x Outline T6.5 amp; 2 x Outline Bomber 1k
3way; 2 x Outline SubTech 218
www.acropro.com.cn
FRANÇAIS
Etabli à l’origine en 1932 et construit
par un groupe de banquier s chinois,
Paramount a été conçu par l’architecte Yang
Xiqiu dans un style ar t déco flamboyant
et achevé quelques années seulement
après l’Empire State Building de NewYork. Un poète inconnu (peut-être un
talentueux type de RP) écrivait à l’époque
“Dans une nuit de pleine lune et de peu
d’étoiles, l’éclairage coloré de Paramount
fait un effet de soie; lisse et doux”. En
2001, Zhao Shichong, un entrepreneur
taiwanais, est venu à la rescousse du club
– alors en péril – avec un investissement
de plusieurs millions de dollars afin de lui
redonner un peu de son ancien glamour.
Le nouveau Paramount amélioré couvre
2000m_, avec un plafond de huit mètres de
haut et un espace scénique pouvant être
vu de tous les côtés, ainsi que des lasers à
360 degrés et des pistes de danses mobiles.
ACROPRO, de Shanghai, a conçu,
fourni et installé le superbe système
d’animation, qui consiste majoritairement
en écrans laser RGB full color PowerLight
3 Watt ACROPRO, ainsi qu’en 10
projecteurs à écran, éclairage Clay Paky
et système audio Outline. Le design et
la construction pour le son, l’éclairage
laser et les systèmes LED a été pris en
char ge par James Yu d’ACROPRO.
080
DEUTSCH
Paramount ist zunächst 1932 durch eine
Gruppe von chinesischen Bankern etabliert
und aufgebaut worden, ist durch den
Architekten Yang Xiqiu in einem extravaganten
Ar t Deco Stil entworfen worden und nur
wenige Jahre nach dem Empire State Building
in New York City fertiggestellt worden. Ein
unbekannter Dichter (vielleicht ein talentierter
PR Typ) hat dann geschrieben “Nachts im
hellen Mondschein und einigen Sternen, wirkt
die farbenfrohe Beleuchtung in Paramount
wie Seide, glatt und weich”. 2001 ist der
taiwanische Unternehmer Zhao Shichong
dem - zerbröckelnden - Treffpunkt mit einem
mehreren Millionen Dollar Investment zur
Hilfe geeilt, das dafür bestimmt war, etwas
von dem alten Glamour des Treffpunkts
zurückzubringen. Das neue verbesser te
Paramount umfasst eine Fläche von 2.000
Quadratmetern, acht Meter hohen Decken,
einen Bühnenbereich, der von jeder Ecke
aus eingesehen werden kann, plus 360 Grad
Lasern und manövrierfähigen Tanzflächen.
Das in Shanghai ansässige ACROPRO hat
das großar tige Enter tainmentsystem
entworfen, unterstützt und installier t, das
zum Großteil aus ACROPRO PowerLight
3 Watt Full Colour RGB Laser Displays, 10
Bildschirmprojektoren, Clay Paky Beleuchtung
und Outline Audiosystemen besteht. Design
und Konstruktion für Sound, Beleuchtungslaser
und LED Systemen ist durch James Yu
von ACROPRO übernommen worden.
November / December 2007
ITALIANO
ESPAÑOL
Fondato inizialmente nel 1932 e costruito
da un gruppo di banchieri cinesi, il
Paramount fu progettato dall’architetto
Yang Xiqiu in rigoroso stile Ar t Deco
e ultimato a pochi anni di distanza
dell’Empire State Building di New York.
Un ignoto poeta (forse un talentuoso
addetto alle pubbliche relazioni) scriveva
all’epoca: “Nelle notti di luna piena e
poche stelle, l’illuminazione ricca di colori
del Paramount assume l’aspetto della
seta: morbida e soffice”. Nel 2001 Zhao
Shichong, un imprenditore di Taiwan,
ha deciso di salvare il locale ormai in
rovina, investendo diversi milioni di dollari
per ripor tare il club agli antichi fasti. Il
nuovo e rinnovato Paramount occupa
un’area di 2000 metri quadrati, con soffitti
alti 8 metri e un palco visibile da ogni
angolazione, oltre a luci laser a 360 gradi
e piste da ballo manovrabili. Lo studio
ACROPRO di Shanghai ha progettato,
for nito e installato il mir abolante
sistema di intrattenimento, costituito da
schermi laser RGB multicolori da 3 Watt
PowerLight, 10 proiettori, luci Clay Paky
e impianti acustici Outline. James Yu dello
studio ACROPRO si è occupato della
progettazione e della realizzazione dei
sistemi acustici, a laser luminosi e a LED.
Paramount, establecido inicialmente en 1932
y construido por un grupo de banqueros
chinos, fue diseñado por el arquitecto Yang
Xiqiu en un exuberante estilo Art Decó y
se completó tan solo algunos años luego del
edificio Empire State de la ciudad de Nueva
York. Un poeta desconocido (tal vez algún
tipo talentoso) escribió “En la noche de
luna llena y contadas estrellas, la coloridas
luces de Paramount son como la seda;
suaves y tersas”. En 2001, Zhao Shichong,
un empresario taiwanés, vino al rescate del
entonces decadente local, con una inversión
multimillonaria y el objetivo de traer de
vuelta par te del viejo glamour del club.
El nuevo y mejorado Paramount cubre
un área de 2.000 metros cuadrados,
con techos de ocho metros de altura,
un escenario que puede verse desde
cualquier esquina, además de luces láser
de 360º y pistas de baile maniobrables.
ACROPRO ubicada en Shangai, diseñó,
facilitó e instaló el magnífico sistema de
entretenimiento, que en general consiste
en pantallas láser RGB a color ACROPRO
PowerLight 3 Watt, 10 pantallas proyectoras,
iluminación de Clay Paky y sistemas de
audio Outlin. James Yu de ACROPRO estuvo
a cargo del diseño y construcción para el
sonido, las luces láser y los sistemas LED.