Robe moving lights continue to be a popular choice for theatres in the Netherlands, and the new Theater aan de Parade in Den Bosch provides another excellent example, with more than 200 Robe products integrated into the lighting systems of its two main performance spaces.
The contemporary glazed architectural masterpiece, designed by MVRDV, stands on the site of the previous 1976 theatre building (which itself replaced the original theatre built in 1934), providing a high-production-value performance environment and a striking 21st-century counterpoint to the city’s historic St. John’s Cathedral.
The new venue has become a dynamic entertainment and meeting hub, full of energy and creativity in the heart of this picturesque city.
The Robe fixtures are distributed between Theater aan de Parade’s two multi-purpose halls: the 920-seat Casino Hall and the Plein Hall, which accommodates 400 people.
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The Robe installation includes:
- 23 x T2 Profile
- 83 x T1 Profile
- 11 x T1 PC
- 80 x LEDBeam 350
- 3 x TX1
- 12 x CUETE Spot
- 14 x Tetra2, used for cyclorama lighting
- 4 x RoboSpot BaseStation with MotionCamera
All of this equipment was supplied through Controllux, Robe’s Benelux distributor, together with additional complementary fixtures as well as the control and networking infrastructure. Kuno van Velzen, Controllux’s project and sales manager, began working on this installation in 2022.
Theater aan de Parade hosts more than 300 performances annually, presented by numerous visiting companies, as well as festivals and corporate events, explains Alphons Verhallen, the venue’s head of technical operations, who leads a technical team of 16 people.
T1 and T2 Profile: the heart of the system
The T1 and T2 Profiles were selected as the “best multispectral profile moving lights on the market”, comments Alphons.
Having multispectral LED fixtures at the core of the lighting system — rather than white LED sources — was one of the key requirements of the tender.
This feature is highly valued in theatres and performance venues where perfect colour reproduction and accurate skin tones are essential. Robe’s additive colour-mixing technologies allow these fixtures to deliver richly saturated colours and delicate pastel shades with all the quality and precision required in a theatrical environment.
In addition, the highly flexible colour temperature (CCT) control provides a range of premium-quality whites, essential for illuminating theatre productions, dance performances and dramatic works.
The T1 and T2 Profiles are installed on lighting bridges and overhead bars in both halls. Seven T1 PCs are mounted on the portal bars of the Casino Hall and four more on the LX2 position in the Plein Hall, where they provide excellent wash-lighting capabilities. The TX1 fixtures are also used in overhead positions within this space.
Flexibility for every type of performance
The LEDBeam 350 fixtures are versatile luminaires and, among other functions, replace traditional six-bar moving PAR effects in both halls.
Meanwhile, the Tetra2 fixtures are proving highly effective for cyclorama and effects lighting in the Plein Hall, particularly for concerts, musical performances and band shows, together with the CUETE Spot fixtures installed in the same location.
The RoboSpot systems are typically used in conjunction with the T1 Profiles in either hall. They offer all the advantages of a fast setup, allowing operators to be positioned backstage or offstage while also giving the lighting designer the freedom to choose which fixtures will be used as followspots.
Alphons is extremely pleased with the results and is fully confident that the venue can offer significant added value to its clients thanks to this combination of technologies.
He also notes that some visiting companies are already taking full advantage of the possibilities offered by the new lighting system. Other older productions, still based on static fixtures controlled via dimmers, may take longer to adapt, although the process is already underway.
A project years in the making
Technical planning for the new theatre began in 2018 and, since then, the specifications have been refined as more suitable products became available on the market.
While the new building was under construction, Theater aan de Parade continued staging performances in a temporary venue — also equipped with Robe products — until the project was completed.
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Alphons, who took on the role of technical director for the new theatre ahead of its opening at the end of 2024, is delighted with the results achieved so far. In addition to the obvious advantages, the fully LED-based stage lighting system delivers significant energy savings compared to the operational requirements of the previous installation.
Alphons became more familiar with the Robe brand after visiting the 2019 Prague Quadrennial, where Robe illuminated one of the event’s main installations, Blue Hour, by artist Romain Tardy.
Several key members of the technical team have also visited Robe’s factory in Valašské Meziříčí, and Alphons highlights the importance of maintaining a strong working relationship with both the manufacturer and the local distributor.
Controllux also coordinated the installation of the lighting systems and the entire associated control network.
