Convention Centre Dublin - Theatre Projects Consultants

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CONVENTION
CENTRE DUBLIN
www.mondodr.com
VENUE 069
DUBLIN, IRELAND
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
When travelling into unknown territory, I thoroughly recommend the
insightful (or sometimes inciting) company of a taxi driver to paint a
completely unbalanced view of the local terrain. Depending on the
length of the journey, nuggets of local history, significant dates and recent cultural phenomenon can all be yielded and used advantageously
to enhance the short time spent in their area. The great thing about
taxi drivers, you see, is they are all privy to an incredible amount of
information, gleaned from the unscientific socioeconomic sample that
comes through their doors. And most have a strong opinion that they
are more than willing to share.
As we edge through the heavy Dublin traffic towards the Docklands
area of the city, my taxi driver and I naturally steer towards the topic
of the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD). “I don’t know what they’ve
tried to do there,” he says. I smile. It’s obvious to me that he’s referring to the bold architecture of the building, which I had seen in CAD
drawings, and had instantly been attracted to. “It’s a funny looking
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The Auditorium
place.” And with that brief, and somewhat damming appraisal of
the CCD, I walk away from that taxi with the encouragement that
the new convention centre, resting on the banks of the River Liffey,
is probably something worth talking about. When I hear its story, I
discover it definitely is.
You only need to see the list of manufacturers involved in the
technical aspects of its creation to realise the significance of the
CCD. Names like d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Midas, Klark Teknik,
audio-technica and Sennheiser feature on the audio side. Martin
Professional, Philips Selecon, Robert Juliat, ETC, Avolites and High
End Systems make up the lighting contingent, and Christie, Vivitek,
Panasonic and Harkness Screens contribute to the visual installation.
CCD Head of Technical Department, Lee Ford, revealed the centre is
the result of a private and public sector partnership between Treasury
Holdings and the Irish Government. The NEC Group was appointed
as the management consultancy, and having worked with the company previously, Lee was invited to have a look at the proposed plans.
His background, working around the globe as a production manager
and in the corporate sector, affords him a well-rounded perspective of
what a venue like the CCD should offer.
He was quick to recognise those behind the project: “I’m lucky that
such a winning team has been put together to produce such a fantastic building; using their vast knowledge and experience to create
one of the most comprehensive and advanced venues that I’ve ever
come across. It’s been an extremely well planned and thought out
development.
“I’m also very fortunate that the management team saw fit to stand
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“...they left the finance in
place and I’m very proud
to say that I firmly believe
we have the best equipped
convention centre in
Europe.”
by their commitments to having a very strong production offer. Even
during these troubled financial times, the CCD stood by its commitment to ensure high standards of production commitment. And when
I’m sure it would’ve been very easy to reduce the spend on technical
equipment, they left the finance in place and I’m very proud to say
that I firmly believe we have the best equipped convention centre in
Europe.”
The landmark building was designed by Pritzker award-winning Irish
architect Kevin Roche, and features a glass fronted atrium running
the full height of the building - giving visitors panoramic views of the
River Liffey, Dublin city centre and the Wicklow mountains. This
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tilted glass cylinder - 54 metres high and 39 metres in diameter
- intersects the granite wall of the south façade, creating a partial
parabola. It has been impregnated with LED rings as part of a lighting system designed by French lighting designers Bideau, which is
controlled by Nicolaudie Sunlite Suite software.
Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC) was brought on-board as design
consultants and specifiers, with LSI Projects supplying audio equipment, Cine Electric the dynamic lighting set-up and Eurotek handling
the various visual installations, as well as supplying microphones
and drapes. Unsurprisingly, there was direct input from the different
manufacturers involved, and everything was overseen by Lee and
Technical Production Manager for CCD, Edwin Whelan.
“I wanted to create the specification for a venue that I’d be happy to
use as a production manager,” said Lee. “So having travelled all over
the world, having spec’ed that many different events, corporate and
otherwise, what equipment did I use? Looking at it from a production
manager’s perspective, I’m sort of a poacher turned gamekeeper.”
Covering an area of 45,921 square metres across four main floors
DiGiCo’s SD7 desk in The Auditorium control booth
(the main auditorium on the top level actually occupies three levels),
the building offers a series of performance, conference and meeting
options. Sustainability and flexibility are fundamental to each space,
the arrangement of spaces and in turn, the venue as a whole.
The Auditorium has been designed and specified to cater for largescale conferences or events. It features beautiful wood panelled
walls, sourced from sustainable forests, and 2,000 premium Figueras
chairs - equally split between the stalls and upper tier - each of which
has its own ventilation control, as well as a power socket and data
Christie HD12K project onto The Auditorium’s Harkness screen
“The CCD... is, in fact,
recognised as the first
carbon-neutral convention
centre in the world by UN
accredited auditors, SGS.”
port.
TPC, working with d&b’s Irish distributor Mosco, who had direct
input form d&b’s UK office and installer LSI Projects, specified a d&b
audiotechnik speaker system comprising two hangs of three Q7 cabinets either side of the stage and a centre configuration of one Q7
and one Q10, which supply the main mid and high frequencies. Six
flown Q-SUBs provide low frequency response. Eight E8 speakers
have been deployed to supply fills, rear stalls, and balcony delays.
The system has been configured to allow control from two points;
the main control room and sound cockpit, situated at the rear of the
stalls. The cockpit console is a DiGiCo SD7 digital, linked on a dual
redundant fibre optic loop to a DiGiCo SD8 digital mixing console
in the control room, which can act as either a fully tracking back up
console or an automated sub mixer for the primary desk. The DiGiCo
system is designed to support 88 analogue input channels, 32
analogue outputs, 24 AES / EBU digital inputs and 64 AES / EBU
digital outputs. A stock of AKG and Sennheiser microphones provide
cabled and wireless options.
Production communication around the space utilises Clear-Com 4channel stations and hardwired units with 36 portable outstations and
16 wireless 2-channel outstations.
Commenting on the installation, LSI’s Project Engineer, Ian Thomas,
revealed that it is often the less glamorous aspects of a job that prove
to be the most challenging: “As with any contract of this size, the major challenges are always those that are never seen. The engineering
and cabling carried out to make all equipment work together as a
completely integrated working building had to be the main challenge.”
Permanent lighting fixtures include 10 ETC Source 4 Zoom Profiles,
16 Selecon Arena Zoom Profiles, six Selecon Arena Fresnels and 24
Par64 fixtures for FOH. A further 10 Selecon Arena Zoom Profiles,
six ECT Source 4 Zoom Profiles and 12 Selecon Rama Fresnels, as
well as two Robert Juliat Victor Follow Spots light the stage control
comes from an ETC Congo 3000 lighting board with full-size ETC
Congo back-up, and the options of an Avolites Pearl 2010 or High
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The Liffey
End Systems Whole Hog 3 with Fader Wing, if preferred.
Cine Electric also supplied a host of Martin Professional fixtures,
which can be used throughout the CCD, not only in The Auditorium,
but in its other expansive spaces like The Liffey and The Forum exhibition space, as well. The CCD’s Martin lighting solution includes 10
Martin MAC III Profiles with MAC III Performance modules, 12 Martin
MAC 700 Wash units, 10 Martin MAC 700 Profiles, 84 Martin MAC
575 Kryptons and 18 Martin MAC 301 LED Wash fixtures.
Many of the Martin fixtures represent the company’s work towards
greener products (like the MAC 301 LED), as UK Sales Director,
Mike Walker explained at the venue’s press day: “I’d like to say a few
words about Martin’s commitment to sustainability, which is a really
important issue for us and for a lot of areas of the entertainment
industry. As you can imagine, these kinds of lights use an awful lot
of power, so we’ve been working hard to minimise the consumption
of energy for a good number of years now. Along with the Danish
Government and a top Danish University, we’ve invested about �4 million over the last three years developing LED technology, and we’ve
been really delighted with what’s come out of that. We’ve got some
products that are groundbreaking, unique and are really changing
the way that this industry is going to use light, and how it’s going to
consume energy to drive those lights. It’s great to see some of those
fixtures here.”
Lee Ford added: “We were very much looking towards ‘green’. The
way the building management system works, we tried to follow that
on with the production. Production tends to be less than green. We
wanted to challenge that.“ The CCD through low carbon building tech-
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niques and by offsetting all unavoidable carbon emissions by investing
in carbon credits, is, in fact, recognised as the first carbon-neutral
convention centre in the world by UN accredited auditors, SGS.
Eurotek, Ireland’s longest established supplier of advanced AV,
supplied an array of visual kit, including 40-inch LCD JVC displays,
65-inch Panasonic plasma displays and projection technology from
Christie and Vivitek.
In total two Christie HD8K’s, four Roadster HD12K’s and two Roadster HD18K’s have been specified along with stacking frames for
the 8K units and custom mounting brackets to suit the range. These
1080 HD projectors are rated at 8,000, 12,000 and 18,000 ANSI
lumens respectively.
The original projector specification was changed to Christie for a number of reasons, one of which, as Lee explained, was his recognition of
the need for local support: “The initial specification was put forward by
others and they had things like Barco for projection, but Barco aren’t
supported locally, so how was I going to survive being the only Barco
user in the whole of Ireland? Christie was something we aspired to...
we now have six Christies (for internal use). We went from a three
Barco budget to a six Christie budget.”
Unusually, the two Roadster HD18K’s are for exterior large-scale outdoor projections on the rear wall of the building to meet conditions of
the Dublin Dockland Developments, which manages the area in which
CCD resides. As well as the 18K Christie Roadsters Eurotek are
supplying Tempest outdoor enclosures for the projectors and using TV
One edge blending unit to process the content from a Doremi Nugget
Pro Full HD MPEG player, which will be managed from a wireless
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FRANÇAIS
Lee Ford (4th from right) and the team behind the CCD
link inside CCD. The projection will be used for promotional purposes
across a 63 metre wide wall, and each projector will be remotely
monitored from a Crestron processor.
Internally, the Harkness projection screens vary in size, with the
largest - 5.35 x 7 metres - being in the Auditorium. Here the Christie
HD12K projects from the control room, and even with its standard
lens can be used to project onto, and fill, the white guaze drape.
Down in The Forum a further HD12K fires onto a 6.22m x 3.5m
centre screen, with two Roadster HD8K’s addressing motorised
side screens. The Liffey Suite splits into two separate conference
rooms, with each 6.22m x 3.5m screen assigned a further Roadster
HD12K.
The projection screens themselves were manufactured by Harkness
Hall, supplied by Eurotek, and mounted in Litestructures Astralite
truss, with the frames wrapped in JC Joel Joelastic black socks.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SOUND
THE AUDITORIUM
7 x d&b audiotechnik Q7 speaker (3L-1C-3R), 1 x d&b
audiotechnik Q10 speaker (1C); 6 x d&b audiotechnik Q-SUB
bass speaker (2L-2C-2R); 8 x d&b audiotechnik E8 infill speaker;
d&b audiotechnik D6 & D12 amplification; 1 x DiGiCo SD7 DOH
desk; 1 x DiGiCo SD8 monitor desk; Clear-Com Eclipse comms
matrix; TOA VX-2000 paging; Sonifex audio distribution
THE LIFFEY
8 x d&b audiotechnik Q1 speaker (4L-4R); 2 x d&b audiotechnik
Q10 speaker (2C); 6 x d&b audiotechnik Q-SUBS bass speaker;
2 x d&b audiotechnik Q7 out-fill speaker; 8 x d&b audiotechnik
E12 speaker; 1 x Midas Venice 360 analogue FOH desk; 1 x
DiGiCo SD8 digital FOH desk; Sennheiser dual channel infrared
system; Clear-Com Eclipse matrix; Sonifex audio distribution
LIGHTING
THE AUDITORIUM
16 x ETC Source 4 Zoom Profile; 26 x Philips Selecon Arena
Zoom Profile; 6 x Philips Selecon Arena Fresnel; 36 x Par 64;
2 x Robert Juliat Victor Follow Spot; 12 x Philips Selecon Rama
Fresnel; 1 x ETC Congo 3000 control desk; ETC patchable
Dimming
THE LIFFEY
24 x Philips Selecon Rama Fresnel; 6 x ETC Source 4 Zoom
Profile; ETC Congo Junior desk
EXTRAS
10 x Martin MAC III Profiles with MAC III Performance modules;
12 x Martin MAC 700 Wash; 10 x Martin MAC 700 Profile; 84 x
Martin MAC 575 Krypton; 18 x Martin MAC 301 LED Wash; 1 x
Avolites Pearl 2010 desk; High End Systems Wholehog 3 desk
VISUAL
THE AUDITORIUM
1 x Christie HD12K Roadster projector; 1 x Harkness screen 7 x
5.25 metres (4:3); Leitch video distribution
THE LIFFEY
2 x Christie Roadster HD12K projector; 2 x Harkness screen
6.22 x 3.5 metres (16:9); Leitch video distribution
www.theccd.ie
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Il suffit de voir la liste des fabricants impliqués dans la mise
en œuvre technique de la création du Centre des Congrès
de Dublin pour comprendre son importance. Les noms
d’entreprises telles que d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Midas, Klark
Teknik, audio-technica ou encore Sennheiser se retrouvent
pour les questions de sonorisation. Martin Professional, Philips
Selecon, Robert Juliat, ETC, High End Systems ont été en
charge de l’éclairage et Christie, Vivitek, Panasonic ainsi
que Harkness Screens ont pris part à l’installation visuelle.
Ce projet, conçu par Treasury Holdings et le Gouvernement
Irlandais, conseillé par le groupe NEC Group et aidé par les
contributions de Theatre Projects Consultancy, LSI Projects,
Mosco, Eurotek et Cine Electric, est d’envergure nationale voire
Européenne. Sur une surface de 45 921 mètres carrés répartis
en quatre niveaux principaux (l’auditorium principal du dernier
niveau occupe en fait trois niveaux), le bâtiment propose de
nombreuses solutions en termes de spectacles, conférences
et réunions. Durabilité et flexibilité définissent chaque espace,
la disposition des espaces entre eux et le site tout entier.
DEUTSCH
Man muss sich nur die Liste der an den technischen Aspekten
dieser Gestaltung beteiligten Hersteller anschauen, um die
Bedeutung des Kongresszentrums von Dublin zu bemessen.
Namen wie d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Midas, Klark Teknik,
audio-technica und Sennheiser erscheinen auf der Audio-Seite.
Martin Professional, Philips Selecon, Robert Juliat, ETC, High
End Systems leisten den Beleuchtungsbeitrag und Christie,
Vivitek, Panasonic und Harkness Screens arbeiten an der
visuellen Installation mit. Das durch Treasury Holdings und die
irische Regierung konzipierte Projekt mit Unternehmensberatung
durch NEC Group und Beiträgen von Theatre Projects
Consultancy, LSI Projects, Mosco, Eurotek und Cine Electric
soll die Erwartungen erfüllen, eine wichtige Rolle für Irland
und sogar für Europa zu spielen. Das Gebäude nimmt eine
Fläche von 45.921 Quadratmetern über vier Hauptstockwerken
ein (das Hauptauditorium auf der höchsten Ebene belegt in
der Tat drei Ebenen), und bietet eine Reihe von Leistungen,
Konferenz- und Versammlungsoptionen. Nachhaltigkeit und
Flexibilität sind grundlegend für jeden Bereich, die Aufteilung
der Bereiche und im Gegenzug für den Treff als ganzes.
ITALIANO
E’ sufficiente dare uno sguardo alla lista dei produttori coinvolti
nella realizzazione degli aspetti tecnici del Centro Congressi
Dublino, per avere così un’ idea precisa del significato della
sua realizzazione. Vi figurano difatti, nomi importanti quali d&b
audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Midas, Klark Teknik, audio-technica e
Sennheiser per quanto riguardo l’aspetto audio. Per quanto
concerne l’illuminazione invece, sono intervenuti nomi quali
Martin Professional, Philips Selecon, Robert Juliat, ETC e High
End Systems, mentre Christie, Vivitek, Panasonic e Harkness
Screens hanno contribuito all’installazione del progetto visivo.
Il progetto del Centro, concepito dalla Treasury Holdings e
dal Governo Irlandese, ha ricevuto una consulenza gestionale
dal Gruppo NEC e contributi importanti dalla Theatre Projects
Consultancy, LSI Projects, Mosco, Eurotek e Cine Electric, con
la speranza di rendere un contributo significativo sia all’Irlanda
che all’Europa. Con una superficie di 45,921 metri quadrati
disposta su quattro piani principali ( l’auditorium principale
all’ ultimo livello in realtà copre tre piani), l’edificio offre spazi
dedicati all’intrattenimento, alle conferenze nonché riunioni.
Essenziali a ciascuno spazio sono la sostenibilità e la flessibilità,
l’organizzazione degli stessi sia a livello individuale che globale.
ESPAÑOL
Solo basta con ver la lista de fabricantes que participan en los
aspectos técnicos de esta creación para darse cuenta de la
importancia del Centro de Convenciones de Dublín. Nombres
como d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Midas, Klark Teknik, audiotechnica y Sennheiser resaltan en el aspecto del sonido. Martin
Professional, Philips Selecon, Robert Juliat, ETC, High End
Systems conforman el aspecto de iluminación y Christie, Vivitek,
Panasonic and Harkness Screens contribuyen a las instalaciones
visuales. Se espera que este proyecto de Treasury Holdings y
del gobierno irlandés, con consultoría de gestión del Grupo NEC
(NEC Group) y contribuciones de las firmas Theatre Projects
Consultancy, LSI Projects, Mosco, Eurotek y Cine Electric sea
de importancia para Irlanda y para Europa. Al contar con un área
de 55.921 m2 a lo largo de cuatro plantas (de hecho el auditorio
principal en la última planta ocupa tres plantas), el edificio ofrece
una serie de opciones de espacios para espectáculos conferencias
y reuniones. La sostenibilidad y la flexibilidad son fundamentales
en cada espacio y a la vez en toda la edificación en conjunto.