Albania’s Folie Terrace Upgrades with a Retractable Roof and 5,150 VC-Dots
After an extensive refurbishment, Tirana’s 1,500-person capacity Folie Terrace, the biggest nightclub in Albania, officially opened to the public in June 2015.
One of Folie Terrace’s biggest draws is a retractable roof, which can convert the club into an open space or close it off to contain the noise levels to adhere to downtown Tirana’s strict noise ordinances.
The refurbishment also includes a brand new interior, including a lighting and video solution from Martin Professional courtesy of Albanian Harman distributor, Prosound that fills the soaring interior space with pulsing light.
The club’s owner, Andro Buxhuku, contacted Prosound, headed by Managing director Kliton Gjika, in early 2015. He and the architect wanted something that would emulate city lights, envisioning an installation with linear dots.
The initial project drawings featured 1,000 incandescent lamps with heavy dimmers, and while the Prosound team members were excited about the general idea of the design, they anticipated a cabling nightmare and a complicated setup with endless amounts of DMX addresses — not to mention enormous power consumption.
The Video Dot Option
As an alternative to the incandescent light sources, the team suggested Martin’s creative LED video dots and immediately set up a test with Martin’s VC-Dot 1s. Both Buxhuku and Bogdanos were excited at the prospect of being able to create more advanced effects using the P3-PC System Controller, with the added benefit of RGB colors, while drastically reducing power consumption.
“We chose these LED dots particularly due to their brightness and low power consumption,” said Gjika. “They need to be able to stand up against the club lights and other visual elements, and they manage perfectly. Secondly, the dots are individually controllable and easy to map and configure.”
The entire wall behind the DJ/Stage is covered in 5,150 VC-Dot 1s mounted on a wooden frame in the shape of a building facade. The VC-Dots create an outline of windows and a building facade, creating a grand backdrop for the performances on stage and the dance floor. The P3-PC System Controller controls the entire system.
Originally, Prosound wanted to use the VC-Dot 9 Diffuser Spheres, but to increase the output, a smaller custom-made diffuser sphere was made, which emitted the desired output while at the same time emulated the incandescent light sources.
Apart from the VC-Dots, Folie Terrace has a house rig of eight MAC 101s, eight RUSH MH 4s, eight RUSH MH1s and six RUSH DC 1 Aqua fixtures that simulate the effect of water on the floor at the center of the club — all controlled by the M1 lighting console. Rounding out the Martin-centered rig are eight Racer 200s, four COB Par UVs and four Profile LEDs.
“It’s important for me that the lighting sends a message,” says Buxhuku. “It needs to signal exclusivity and it needs to make my customers feel happy and relaxed. To us lighting is just as important as other parts of the interior and it needs to work with the interior to create a cohesive guest experience. I am sure that our lighting system will become one of the main components in Folie Terrace’s visual identity.”
For a video covering the Folie Terrace installation, go to plsn.me/FolieTerrace.
