J R Clancy finishes Saudi job in half time

The enormous theater complex houses three theatres: a 2500-seat performance hall, a 700-seat drama theatre and a so called ‘black box’ lecture theatre.

Schuler Shook, the architect that designed these diverse theatres, selected J R Clancy as the unique supplier for the rigging. The firm will supply a package of under stage and over stage rigging.

The theatres will use Titan hoists, the largest standard automated hoist manufactured by Clancy. Titan was chosen for its zero fleet angle design and its ability to move large loads at production speed.

Acoustic tip-and-fly ceilings the theatres use Clancy orchestra lifts for simple conversion of the spaces from theatrical to orchestral productions. All of the hoists and lifts are controlled using Niscon’s Raynok motion control system to quickly convert the theatres from one show type to the next.

Rigorous Saudi Arabian fire safety codes required custom steel framed fire safety curtain systems. Curtains were made of Zetex Plus 1210ZP fabric with a one-hour rating for fire protection.

Challenges also arose from the six month timeline for completion, from design to installation, according to Charlie Shatzkin, international sales manager for Clancy.

Shatzkin said, “We were able to meet the challenge, in part because our ISO 9001 infrastructure provides a highly efficient design and manufacturing system. We can ramp up quickly and efficiently to meet high demand.”