SAN FRANCISCO, CA – With the December, 2010 dedication of Brigham Young University-Idaho’s new 15,000- seat auditorium, BYU-Idaho Center, the campus is now home to one of the largest production theatrical facilities in North America built for the primary purpose of supporting weekly student devotional services. Brigham Young University-Idaho is part of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints’ education system. Auerbach Glasow French worked under the direction of FFKR Architects to design, document and commission the architectural lighting and related controls for the lobby and auditorium audience chamber within the building. The school also turned to Stage Technologies for rigging solutions.
Creative design solutions were provided in the lobby to accommodate the soaring three story high volume and long curving corridors. These challenges were solved by lighting fixtures mounted to the balcony fronts pointed towards a series of faceted reflector disks attached to the ceiling, refracting light to specific areas on the floor. Glowing wall sconces and pendant fixtures help create a luminous lobby that is comfortable and inviting. With large windows at the north and south ends of the building daylighting was also a factor in the design. The entire lobby is controlled by a switching system that changes the light levels based upon the time of day and time of year through an astronomical time clock.
In the auditorium, the firm designed lighting for the fan-shaped audience chamber that can be customized for performance, devotional, or lectures. Careful attention was paid to the finishes on the side walls and other details to create intimacy and warmth. Recessed ceiling fixtures and decorative sconces provide a soft glow, creating an intimate feel in the expansive space.
Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, the firm’s Performing Arts/Media Facilities Consulting and Design division, provided comprehensive consulting services for theatrical, audio-video and broadcast systems for the BYU-Idaho Center.
BYU also relied upon Stage Technologies' Las Vegas team to install an up-to-date motorized rigging system that includes 55 BigTow winches, control cabinets, a Nomad control desk and a Solo handheld control console. The system also includes two camera pylons – an engineering innovation from the Stage Technologies research and development team. The camera pylon lets techs film motion shots on a vertical axis and consists of a sturdy, fixed camera base on a steel telescopic frame which extends upwards, allowing the camera to ascend or descend without deviation or stutter.
Stage Technologies also installed a 24-axis automation control system in 2007 at the 140-year-old Tabernacle building in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, also part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Tabernacle was built in the 1860s but now contains some of the most technically advanced lighting, sound and automation systems ever installed in a house of worship.
For more information, please visit www.auerbachconsultants.com and www.stagetech.com .
