Medieval Banquet for Anolis

 

Over 200 Anolis architectural LED fixtures were specified and installed by Viba Sound into the newly refurbished Medieval Banquet venue at Ivory House, St Katherine's Dock, right in the historical hub of the City of London, near Tower Bridge.

The 'regal banquet' for up to 420 people takes place by flickering torchlight in the vaulted cellars of Ivory House. Accompanying 'King Henry VIII' are fighting knights, strolling players and other elements of medieval high-jinx performance, all providing a magical medieval pageant for diners and revellers, followed by music and dancing.

Nick Herridge project managed the re-fit and installation for the venue.

"When it came to new lighting, we wanted something funky and spectacular that needed low maintenance," he explained.

They looked at LED options for other obvious reasons as well, including low power consumption and longevity, and they also needed lighting that emitted low heat - so the cosy underground space didn't become uncomfortably hot when in full flow. All things considered, they pursued the LED path.

They then approached Viba Sound's Pete Kellett to come up with a creative solution that would atmospherically enhance the natural architecture of the room in a subtle and not too brash way, highlighting the vaulted ceilings and supporting brick pillars, and adding to the general ambience.

Viba has used Anolis products for many other projects.

"The product is extremely well made," says Kellett, "It's not the cheapest option, but it's well worth the investment".

For Anolis, Bill Jones came up with a well-thought-out package. Additionally, Anolis were "really thorough" at producing samples, undertaking demos, and "taking a real interest in the project" says Herridge.

Seven rotund columns running in a line support the roof structure of the space (actually the ground floor of the building above), and these are built from three dimensional bricks. Each column is up-lit by 4 ArcPar 3 RGB fixtures. The uneven nature of the bricks takes and spreads the light beautifully, adding texture and depth to the architecture.

The performance areas in between each of the columns  are lit with a combination of 28 Anolis ArcPar 12s and ETC Source Fours.

Each of the 14 arched bays is lit by 10 Anolis ArcLink3 RGB strips, ensconced just above the top of the seats, producing a fabulous rich, even wash coverage up the entirety of arch.

The long bar at one end of the venue is illuminated with two Anolis ArcLine 24s at the front, hung from the ceiling, imbibing the area with a gentle colour changing effect. At the back, the rear bar area, optics and bottle display is down lit with 6 recessed ArcPar 3s.

The installation lighting is completed with a mix of recessed and standard fitting ArcPar 3s lighting a wine cellar area by the entranceway.

The Anolis fixtures are powered by a combination of ArcPower 144 and ArcPower 36 drivers, and Viba Sound designed and built a customised touch-screen computer for control.

Nick Herridge is really pleased with the results and has already received great feedback from guests enjoying the 'experience'.

"The lighting scheme is highly versatile and means we can properly change the mood and feel of the venue for different functions - e.g.  when we create an ice palace in there, or we can also utilise all the Anolis fittings to make it bright and lively when we're in disco mode".

"It has made a huge difference in transforming the venue and bringing greater value to the evening's entertainment," he concludes.

---