The Thomas Dixon Centre is truly a unique project. The starting point utilised the original 1906 building shell (originally a shoe factory) which was to be fully restored to keep its heritage status and then combined with a significant new build next to it, with both buildings linked together with a common promenade, truly combining the old and the new.
The building is home to the Queensland Ballet and has a large range of spaces for different applications, from general office areas, extensive dance studios, wardrobe workshops, bar and entertaining areas, underground carparking, wellness and treatment facilities and a full performance theatre.
The client needed a single system that would be able to mange the large range of area types while providing maximum energy efficiency and user comfort to help achieve a WELL building rating.
The system also had to be easy to install, easy to use, reliable and provide flexibility to change lighting in each area to suit day to day needs and would need to seamlessly integrate to the buildings BMS system and speciality lighting system in the Theatre for a complete integrated solution.
XBURO' Technical Director Ellis Wilson commented: "The refurbishment and extension of the Thomas Dixon Centre offered a number of interesting challenges for the various and disparate lighting scenarios. When the decision was taken by the Ballet to submit the finished project for WELL certification (to Platinum standard) it meant the Design Team were faced with further challenges.
The project, as well as have six studios has a 300-seat Theatre and support facilities to match also is the corporate home of the ballet and incorporates hospitality, conferencing, full dining and kitchens, cafes, bars and of course all the technical departments that are required to put a ballet on the stage.
For the lighting designs, and most installed options were used we also needed to including LED colour temperature control, extensive dimming, automatic control, on-demand control and so on. We also needed to integrate the ‘house lighting’ immediately surrounding the Theatre to ensure there was no accidental or stray light visible which included controlling the main Board Room VIP balcony which offers a view into the theatre from that space.
The only way to achieve all this different and sometimes competing requirements was to use a fully integrated and networks DALI-2 lighting control system.
By using intelligent lighting solutions and a ‘smart’ programmable lighting control system we were able to produce a finished installation that highlights, harmonises and blends into what is unique facility."
