Yuen Long Theatre, a performing arts venue in Hong Kong, is a cultural hub, showcasing a wide range of performances including dance, music and contemporary productions, and playing a key role in bringing local and international talent to the stage.
The theatre, originally opened in 1999, has recently been the subject of a transformative upgrade. Harlequin Floors and TAIT worked closely with the clients, Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), to create a state-of-the-art performance space including a revolutionary switchable dance floor on a revolving stage.
Steven Snow, VP of Operations, TAIT Asia, said, “Yuen Long needed to undergo a massive refurbishment, bringing its equipment up to the technical standards required by today’s industry.”
With a history of working together on various global projects, it was an easy decision for TAIT and Harlequin to continue the partnership with another ground-breaking project. Snow further explained, “It’s been a great partnership all the way through the project. It’s allowed us to deliver a world-class venue on time that we can all be proud of.”
The transformative upgrades to Yuen Long Theatre marked this as a world-first project. Harlequin collaborated with TAIT on a stage that involved 41 motorised fly bars, a wagon and an 11m diameter revolving stage using Harlequin Liberty Switch. Craig Thomson, Contracts Director at Harlequin, explained, “The challenge with having a revolve is the curves and the locking mechanism. We’ve had to invent a brand-new locking system for this application to be successful. It has been a brilliant collaboration and the team has worked really hard on this project.”
Harlequin Liberty Switch is an award-winning, multi-use flooring system designed for venues that regularly put on both dance and theatrical performances. The system has won awards for its innovative design across the world, including the Best Debuting Product Award at LDI Las Vegas in 2022, the DTHG Technology Product Award at Showtech Berlin in 2023, The Innovation Award at JTSE in 2023, and The Engineering Product of the Year Award at ABTT in 2023. These multiple awards speak volumes about its exceptional design, functionality, and impact on the performing arts industry.
The switchable floor system operates using moving carriages that engage with stop blocks on the underside of Harlequin Liberty panels, creating a rigid floor, and disengage to create a sprung floor. With this innovative system, venues can easily transform their performance space using an intuitive touch-screen display. It is more cost-effective than an equivalent ballet wagon, making it a game-changing feature for spaces offering a variety of entertainment. Thomson went on to explain, “The initial concept for Harlequin Liberty Switch was born during the Covid-19 pandemic and since then, a great amount of time has been spent perfecting the design.”
In addition to its versatility, Harlequin Liberty Switch is a more sustainable alternative to the traditional portable sprung floor or ballet wagon. By using one multi-purpose floor instead of two separate floors, fewer resources are required and there is no need for the floor to be stored, moved, installed or uninstalled between performances – significantly reducing manpower and energy consumption. The system requires no power to stay in the selected mode, minimising energy use and all timber used in its manufacture is responsibly sourced from FSC-certified forests.
For more information on this project contact Harlequin: auscontact@harlequinfloors.com or +61 (2) 9620 7770
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