Quays Theatre in Manchester recently underwent a transformative lighting upgrade to it’s auditorium courtesy of Push The Button (PTB). Part of The Lowry, a cultural hub beside Salford docks, Quays Theatre is a flexible 440 seat venue opened in 1991.
The project focused on replacing the existing auditorium lighting solution with a modern LED system, addressing several key challenges and enhancing the overall experience for visitors.
Three main challenges were identified at the outset: replacing the existing downlights, replacing the intricate front of circle linear lights, and dealing with the unique “flying saucers” overhead the stalls. These challenges required PTB’s combination of technical expertise and creative problem-solving to overcome them. For the downlights, PTB installed a GDS Drive Hub system, installing seven Drive Hub mini packs in the newly allocated dimmer room. This centralised the origin point for the wiring, simplifying maintenance and offering well thought out control features, such as system reporting and integration with sACN. The downlights themselves were replaced with GDS Puppis 1K fixtures, replacing older 50W dichroic downlights, and Puppis 4K fixtures at high level inside the flying saucers, replacing PAR 56 downlights.
GDS also provided a 48V linear solution for the circle fronts. This higher voltage product allowed for retrofitting onto the existing wiring, maintaining the aesthetics of the original design while providing brighter illumination that could be dimmed to emulate the soft glow of tungsten products. The flying saucer work was perhaps the most intricate. One of the saucers was taken down and shipped to GDS’s Bristol offices to serve as a mockup. Components were then produced and shipped to the site, where a team of specialist engineers carried out the retrofit.
The major design enhancement of the flying saucers was the replacement of the previous warm glow from these main downlights with a colour-changing RGBW solution. This was achieved using 48V LED strips in custom enclosures, sympathetically mounted into the existing luminaires. This upgrade gave The Lowry the ability to produce vibrant colours over the auditorium, enhancing private functions, corporate events, and providing theatre lighting designers with a new tool for creative expression.
The project required a short four-week closure period. To maximise this time, PTB worked for two weeks prior to the closure, installing the majority of the containment spine around the venue. This allowed the closure period works to be executed rapidly, ensuring the project was completed on time. The flexibility of the DriveHub mini packs allowed for individual addressing of each downlight and overhead light, offering precise control and customisation.
The end result is an auditorium lighting system that maintains the classic appearance while offering significant energy savings and artistic enhancements. The Lowry now boasts a lighting system that is both functional and visually stunning, capable of adapting to a wide range of events and productions.