More details from Robe (www.robe.cz):
Versuz in Hasselt, Belgium is one of the best known club phenomenas in Benelux, regularly attracting a devoted crowd of dance music enthusiasts from Belgium, The Netherlands and many regulars who think nothing of travelling from France and Germany to catch the superlative vibes and fantastic grooves courtesy of resident DJ Laurent Wery and a selection of special guests.
Versuz has recently re-opened in a fabulous new 3000 capacity venue with even more style and buzz plus the very latest sound, lighting and video technology including a large and spectacular moving light rig from Robe, and three massive custom elliptical trusses in the ceiling made for the space by Wicreations.
With over 140 moving lights in the rig, it’s one of the largest Robe club installations to date and arguably the most spectacular in Belgium!
Yves Smolders is one of the three owners. They knew what they wanted, which was a fully flexible solution allowing the whole shape and feel of the club to be transformed with lighting and visual effects.
They wanted high production values and to invest in a level of technology that set Versuz apart and that was unparalleled in any other club in the country, one that will continue to keep the Versuz experience at the very top of its genre for several years.
Once the visual concept and ideas were finalized, Belgian automation and motion control specialists Wicreations came onboard to design and realize the moving structures – they had the luxury of 11 metres headroom to play with in the main room.
“I wanted something that had real impact and was completely different to anything else seen in Benelux,” explains Smolders. The same approach informed his choice of lighting fixtures.
Before he approached Robe’s Benelux distributor Controllux, where his account was handled by Bram De Clerk, he conducted some thorough research, talking to several rental companies and going to shows to look at moving lights in action in situ … all ahead of making his final decision to go with Robe.
The brand came highly recommended, and everything he’d heard people say about Robe was confirmed at the shows he visited. “I was very impressed,” he states.
The installation consists of 38 x Robe ROBIN Pointes, 30 x ROBIN MMX WashBeams, 24 x ROBIN LEDWash 300s, eight ROBIN LEDWash 600s, eight ROBIN 600E Spots, four ROBIN DLXs and 30 x ClubScan 250s. Most of them are in the main room – one of three distinctive Versuz areas.
He received some great service from Robe during the process, which included discussing his plans for the installation with Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar, whose advice was very helpful,
“Everyone I dealt with at Robe was extremely knowledgeable, they took a genuine interest in the project, and I have had fantastic support”.
The Pointes were specifically recommended by the venue’s main Light Operator Nils Berens who is well known on the Benelux club scene. “The Pointes are fast, very bright and perfect for the club,” confirms Smolders.
The lights are run by a team of LJs, all of whom are extremely happy with the installation. The lighting rig and the automation have also been a huge hit with the public and long term Versuz fans … and the new venue is well on the way to continuing the ‘legendary’ status of the Versuz brand.
