Colourful Lighting at Cultural Centre Fideï et Arti
Fideï et Arti is the cultural heart of Oudenbosch. It strives to ensure that everyone, in whatever way, can enjoy culture. They make sure that everyone can experience culture in their own way, because only then does culture take on a meaning that truly fits the individual.
Since its first renovation into a concert hall, Fideï et Arti has been refurbished and expanded several times into the versatile venue it is today. Fideï et Arti, which stands for Faith and Art, is a community building that has served for many years as a cinema and theatre, among other things, and is home to the many associations of Oudenbosch.
In 2023, the final necessary modifications were made to the main hall by in-house installer Tholhuijsen Elektro. Leo van Tholhuijsen Elektro explains: “I was aware of the deficiencies in the electrical installation in the main hall, which had developed over the years due to the absence of a proper cable management system. The general lighting, consisting of recessed spotlights (16 × 300W) and wall fixtures (20 × 150W), had also become outdated and no longer met modern standards. As structural work on the ceiling also needed to be carried out, this was the right moment for a thorough overhaul. As the owner of Fideï et Arti, the municipality of Halderberge commissioned architecture firm ‘De Witte Oss’ to draw up a plan of action, with a request to involve me in the electrical installation.”
The wishes of the centre were clear to the installer, but finding the right fixtures nowadays is a different process than it used to be. “When my parents ran a specialist lighting shop, I learned a great deal about the needs and wishes of customers. Those needs were clear to me now, but browsing through a vast collection of catalogues as we did back then is simply no longer feasible. I turned to the internet to search for fixtures that would meet the requirements.”
Because the hall is used for a wide variety of purposes including film screenings, theatre performances, concerts, rehearsal space for (music) associations, walk-in information presentations, and events such as bridge tournaments, the lighting needed to meet diverse requirements in terms of intensity, colour, atmosphere, and ease of use. In his online search, Tholhuijsen came across the CLS Ruby Surface with RGBW LED colours, controlled via Casambi. This control system was chosen for the hall due to its extensive capabilities and user-friendliness. Using the free app, scenes and/or animations can be programmed and automatically triggered by a film projector. Think atmospheric lighting for audience arrival, pre-show, intermission, and post-show. In addition, user-level authorization is available to prevent unintended changes. It is also possible to switch or control pre-programmed scenes via push buttons or DMX using additional modules, which is particularly useful for the stage manager.
It was Leo’s first time working with the Casambi control system, but the initial challenge quickly became routine. “This was partly driven by curiosity about the limits of what was possible, that challenge soon turned into a new skill.”
To achieve the desired result for the wide variety of activities held in the main hall, the CLS Ruby Surface fixtures were mounted on a cable trunking system. This system had been planned in advance and ensure optimal light distribution while reducing installation costs.
The in-house installer reports that the project was completed to everyone’s satisfaction. “I am thoroughly pleased, and I want more of this! But my greatest satisfaction came from seeing how happy the users were. I was given the freedom to let my creativity run in this project, resulting in a beautiful outcome, and above all, a solution that is easy to use. Fideï et Arti is also happy with the discreetly installed fixtures, which offer near-unlimited possibilities for every conceivable situation. With CLS, creativity and quality define the limits of what is possible.”
