Anolis LED upgrade enhances Llewellyn Hall
Anolis LED upgrade enhances Llewellyn Hall
A major auditorium lighting upgrade at Llewellyn Hall, one of Australia's highly regarded concert venues, has modernised the heritage-listed space with nearly 150 Anolis LED fixtures while preserving its established visual character.
Located within the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, the hall is renowned for its acoustics and regularly hosts performances by organisations including the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Choral Society and Australian Chamber Orchestra.
The project replaced an ageing tungsten-based house lighting system dating back to the 1980s. The upgrade was designed by Studio Entertech theatre consultant Micah Johnson in collaboration with Eddie Galak, business development manager at Jands, the Australian distributor for Anolis.
A total of almost 150 fixtures from the Anolis Ambiane and Calumma ranges were installed throughout the auditorium. The new system reportedly delivers improved energy efficiency, lower operating costs and greater flexibility while maintaining the warm appearance associated with the venue's original tungsten lighting.
“Good quality lighting was essential for this project with smooth and effective colour mixing and rendering, it didn't just need brightness, but plenty of finesse,” explained Johnson.
The installation includes Ambiane XP56 RGBW and tungsten dim luminaires for the main overhead lighting, Ambiane HP111 fixtures for auditorium coverage, and Ambiane SP16 fixtures for turret uplighting. Calumma XS SC and Calumma M MC RGBW fixtures have been used to illuminate architectural features including balcony ceilings and recessed areas.
One of the project's unique elements was the development of a customised surface-mounted Ambiane SP16 fixture with a 30° tilt capability. Originally requested specifically for the venue, the product has since entered commercial production.
Due to the building's heritage listed status, the project team sought to reuse as many existing mounting points and ceiling penetrations as possible. Custom brackets manufactured by Melbourne-based Installation Theatrical Engineering (ITE) enabled the new fixtures to be integrated into the existing infrastructure with minimal structural changes.
The lighting system is controlled via a Paradigm house lighting controller, which can also integrate with the venue's stage lighting system and provides touchscreen access for day-to-day operation.
Alongside the auditorium lighting upgrade, Studio Entertech also specified a new stage lighting system, including dimming and wiring infrastructure, as part of the venue's wider technical modernisation programme.
