Discover how the PORT team successfully enhanced the theatrical lighting infrastructure for both the stage lighting and house lighting at The Garde Arts Center in New London, CT, while preserving the integrity of this historic structure.
September 2023 -
Garde Arts Center - New London, CT
The Garde Theatre in the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT is a Nationally Recognized historic theater named for Walter Garde, a local businessman who opened the theater in 1926 on land purchased from a local “newspaper magnate” who wanted the development of the land to be used “for the good of New London.” Originally opened for Vaudeville acts typical of their popularity in the 1920s, the Garde was created with some unique features – like a Moroccan themed décor – as well as some highly desirable ones – like eight dressing rooms and an orchestra pit large enough to hold 26 musicians.
A restoration project as part of New London’s efforts to revitalize its downtown area in the 80s brought the theater back into regular operation, and a large renewal project started in 2021 made improvements to the original architecture in the lobbies, entrances backstage, support facilities, and more. As part of those upgrades, the Garde Theatre needed to update its lighting infrastructure for both the stage and house lights. PORT was asked to bid on the work and it turned out to be one of our most interesting AND challenging projects.
Respecting the Architecture:
When we attended the walk-through with the Garde team and the other bidders, we were immediately struck by one particular challenge being highlighted for us – a beautiful domed ceiling structure which at the time was assumed would need to be cut open in order to bring in the new rigging that was being asked for as part of the upgrades. No one had any enthusiasm for this part of the job, as no one likes the idea of intentionally cutting up part of a beautiful historical architectural detail that itself was only recently restored. Unfortunately, that is often unavoidable when bringing modern technology and equipment into something originally built to handle much less ambitious lighting requirements.
Fortunately, however, be it from our team’s innate curiosity, or just a bit of ADHD, one of our team
members had wandered away from the group and returned to where he had previously noticed a large panel on a side wall.
Our "Unique Right of Passage":While we knew that our solution to use the access panel was the right one, we also knew that it was not going to be the EASY one. The key element to the entire project was the installation of a new hoist, which in this case was a very significant 660 pounds for the powerhead alone (with bulky dimensions of 100”L x 25”H x 14”W)! Whether we may or may not have been awarded this project for our creative approach to bringing in the new equipment, we still had to succeed at doing it, and there were a number of challenges to overcome. Our solution involved temporarily installing an I-Beam that traversed the length of the original ventilation shaft and extended outside from where we brought the hoist and then proceeded to cantilever it through the shaft, keeping it as high as possible to avoid any contact and potential damage with the newer HVAC that was now in use in the theater. Follow the pictures and their captions to see how this maneuver was executed. With a clearance of fewer than two inches in its final placement, and only 5 days to complete this and other upgrades in what was an active theater season, it was one of those projects where the PORT team felt the same sense of urgency we would have if we were supporting a large-scale event with all the pressures and jitters that are present leading up to a big show!
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