The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University is a radical, one-of-a-kind venue that pushes the boundaries of innovation in performance space. Designing, engineering, constructing, and tuning this venue was a feat accomplished with the help of brilliant professionals across numerous disciplines.
The time-lapse video, by Udris Films, documents The Lindemann’s transformational nature: watch as the Main Hall moves through unique manual and automated operations above and below the stage to achieve five primary configurations: an immersive experimental media cube; recital hall; end-stage theater; concert hall for orchestra and choir, and a large flat floor for concerts and events.
Thanks to the minds and hands that built this unprecedented building, which will inspire new forms of art-making and artistic collaborations at Brown University and beyond.
Texas Scenic Company’s scope of work on this project included:
- Acoustical Reflector Panel System: (16) @ 2-Axis hoists, (32) @ 3-axis Hoist, various custom mule blocks & loft blocks.
- Gantry System: bogies (built by Benson Steel) and rails for (5) gantries. Serapid machinery integration for gantries’ automated movement. (2) custom trolleys for large IGUS cable chains ant trays to house these chains.
- Light Bridge System: (3) manually operated traveling light bridges with extensions. 59’-8” wide in deployed position, 37’-6” wide in retracted position. Designed by Texas Scenic, fabricated by Hudson Scenic.
- West Batten & Projection Screen Systems: 4-line hoists, custom loft blocks, custom battens & line weights for the projection screen and a utility batten
- Choir Reflector Panel System: (2) @ 44’ long line shaft hoists (one for lifting, one for tilting), with custom loft blocks; (1) @ 58’-6”(L) x 2’-9”(H) aluminum subframe for the reflector’s millwork. Flying reflector panel total weight is approximately 3,350#.
- Utility Truss System: (7) @ self-climbing hoists with 36’ long pre-rig trusses for moving lights and speakers. Truss-integrated track-and-trolley system for speaker chain hoists. Various cable reels for cable management solution.
- Grid Chain Hoist System: (16) @ chain hoist stand w/UHMW padding.
- Drawbridge System: Integration of (14) drawbridges (designed by b2p2, fabricated by Innovative Industries); design and installation of (2) custom bridge plates (short pivoting manually operated platforms).
- Acoustic Banner System: (44) @ AcuRoll banner of various height (from 8’-0” to 17’-7”)
- Gantry Curtain System: A system of curved tracks (Gerriets) @ all gantry balcony levels and @ gantry glass panels (all walk-along). (83) @ various type curtains
- Blackout Curtain system: (4) @ custom motorized curtain battens to assure the possibility of a full blackout in the venue. Battens are 110’ (North & South) and 70’ long (East & West), with two curtains mounted on each batten: black (facing into the room) and white (facing out to the window wall)
- Grid Acoustics System: (2) @ 104’ long curtain tracks with curtains (walk-along).
- Gantry Pin & Brace System: (8) @ motorized gantry pin (to lock gantries together in various room configurations); (8) @ motorized gantry brace arm (to prevent gantries from swaying in various room configurations).
- Electrical & Control: Close coordination of various sensor install (solenoid gate latches, guard rail sensors, fall hazard warning lights, gate unlock buttons, gate lock indicators, light bridge detection sensors, klaxon lights, etc. (412!) sensors total. Supplied by Niscon, installation layouts by Texas Scenic, installation by Audet.
- Studio Pipe Grids & Tracks: pipe grids, manually operated curtain tracks and draperies in (3) large studios at basement level.
