ETC’s new Unison Paradigm system controls Lambeth College theatre

A Further Education college in south-west London has become the first European recipient of ETC Unison Paradigm, ETC's architectural control system.

Roger Hennigan, technical sales manager from White Light, the dealer which supplied and installed the system, says: "The college has recently completed an extensive rebuilding programme to construct a 6,000 sq m Sixth Form Centre, including drama and dance studios. The theatre space can be divided into up to three areas, depending on how the tutors want to use it.

"One of the college's stipulations was that the tutors must to be able to quickly and easily control the lighting in any of the spaces. So we specified Paradigm, with its touch screen panels, so that anyone is able to control the house and production lighting regardless of how much training they have had. Alternatively, the better trained tutors, staff and students can use one of the two ETC Ion control desks either in the control room or in the studio and access the same moving and conventional lights."

Paradigm was devised by ETC as a solution to providing the complete control that traditional architectural light products have been unable to supply. The touch screen panels fitted each side of the doors were custom designed by White Light to offer the exact control that the college needs. By dispensing with the distinction between 'architectural' and 'entertainment' functionality, ETC has proved that Paradigm is far more comprehensive and adaptable than regular building and house lighting control systems - bringing greater power to any level of venue.

The Paradigm installation is just one part of a large installation by White Light. For performance lighting control in the main theatre space, the company supplied two ETC Ion lighting desks, providing full control of conventional or moving lights and able to be located in the control room or studio as required. A dimming system consisting of 82 ways of ETC Sensor modules (60 dimmers, 12 contactors) was also supplied and installed.

In the smaller dance studio, White Light supplied and installed a simpler lighting grid again offering 16 amp and DMX data outlets, fed by a 12-way ETC SmartPack dimmer rack controlled by an ETC SmartFade desk.