Delivered by Robe’s Asia Pacific office, the Robe equipment includes PAINTE & ESPRITE Fresnel and Profile moving lights, FOOTSIE LED footlights and T32 Slim Cyc lights, all of which join the lighting inventory which encompasses a range of lighting brands to cover various requirements.

“These new Robe products contribute to the diversity of our lighting resources,” commented Esplanade’s Head of Lighting, Technical Production, Heryadi Yusof (Yadi).

The purchase was the culmination of a collaboration between Robe Asia Pacific and the Robe R&D and production teams in the Czech Republic, especially with the development of the PAINTE Fresnel.

Yadi added that all the fixtures were selected “based on their ability to meet our evaluation criteria, with specific considerations given to optical performance, control capabilities, and suitability for multiple production demands.”

Each fixture type was also chosen based on how they could enhance Esplanade’s overall flexibility and ability to offer a diversity of staging configurations.

The Robe products have been allocated across different venues within Esplanade, including the 1,600-seat Concert Hall and 2,000-seat Theatre, which are housed under two uniquely designed dome structures fitted with double-glazed glass ceilings and aluminium sunshades.

The other performance spaces include the Concourse, DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre and Recital Studio, plus a Rehearsal Studio that can also be utilised for entertainment and events.

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a busy and lively venue with a year-round schedule of approximately 4,000 arts performances and activities embracing a vibrant mix of cultures, languages and genres including dance, music, theatre, and more.

As Head of Lighting, Yadi is a key part of the technical production team. He’s worked with the organisation for 23 years, overseeing the planning, implementation, and maintenance of lighting systems to support the various programmes and performances.

Yadi has been a lighting industry professional for 30 years, having worked on a wide range of performance and technical production projects. He and his lighting crew team made the decision to pick these specific Robe products after a thorough tender evaluation process.

The final selection was based on many core factors, including cost and performance efficiencies, versatility, and how well the fixtures address the breadth of the venue’s technical requirements.

The evaluation assessment also considered how easily and efficiently the new luminaires would integrate with the existing lighting infrastructure.

Both PAINTE and ESPRITE feature Robe’s trailblazing TE (TRANSFERABLE ENGINE) technology which allows LED engines to be replaced or swapped out – in approximately 5 to 7 minutes – for another or an engine with different characteristics appropriate to the application. This can significantly increase the lifespan of the fixtures.

The FOOTSIE2 is a cool product taking foot lighting to new levels, while the T32 Cyc™ Slims are low-laying, easily inter-connectable and populated with powerful RGBBAL multi-chip LEDs that generate high light levels. They also faithfully reproduce the rich full-spectrum colours and tints favoured by LDs worldwide.

Robe Asia Pacific is also based in Singapore. Solid, reliable technical support was another “key consideration” for Yadi and the team when making this decision, as this underpins continued operational efficiency and minimises potential downtime.

Robe Asia Pacific’s Jens Poehlker commented, “This collaboration of various Robe teams across the globe has been extraordinary in order to meet the Esplanade team’s exact requirements for a Fresnel, aware that meeting expectations and deadlines would be a challenge.

“It was all extremely tight from the get-go, and I was delighted to receive the green light from our CEO Josef Valchar.

“After that, getting the nod of approval from Yadi and his team was the next objective. The clarity and attention to detail in their specifications were very helpful, and of course, huge applause to Robe’s Product Management and R&D team working with Ondrej Hegar, Tomas Andrys and Tomas Malina to make all of this happen.

“Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ to Yadi, Ismahadie and the whole Esplanade team for their trust and for adding the PAINTE Fresnels to their 170 Robe fixtures.”

Photo Credit: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay