Stage floor
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Stage floor construction and technical solutions Photo courtesy of 42nd Street Harlequin Liberty panels Birmingham Hippodrome

Building Stage Floors Building Stage Floors – refurbishment, rebuild and new construction Backed by an engineering team and independent research, Harlequin Floors bring nearly 40 years’ experience specialising in stages and floors for the performing arts. Harlequin works on major stage refurbishments from installing a new top surface to constructing a complete new stage. Harlequin combines traditional floor construction skills using natural materials and advances in engineered floor products and engineered plastics components to meet the most demanding stage specifications. Whether working...

Building Stage Floors Birmingham Hippodrome After 30 years and more than a thousand performances, Birmingham Hippodrome’s main stage was in need of replacement, and being the UK’s busiest theatre outside of London, a world-class stage floor was needed. Rebuilding the stage Harlequin removed the existing plywood stage and rebuilt the understructure fitting new dip traps and a double layer of 25mm premium ply. The stage was finished with Harlequin Standfast vinyl, hot-welded at the joins to produce a seamless, continuous surface suitable for a mixed programme of drama, opera and ballet. •...

Stage Construction Stage construction Surface finishes include: Whilst each stage is different and may require its own solution, Harlequin uses established methods of construction and expertly selected materials. The stage construction itself may be assembled onto an existing concrete base, timber or steel beams, onto which joists are positioned with their centres matched to the requirements for loading and durability. “Sacrificial” painted hardboard – chosen when the stage surface is likely to receive nails or screws. The hardboard is tacked down in sheets and may be readily and...

Stage Construction Revolve at Les Rotondes Theater in Luxembourg When creating the Rotondes in Luxembourg’s Bonnevoie district, it was specified that the stage should have a sprung floor and this included integrating a revolve. The importance of a sprung floor across the whole stage was recognised as essential for the benefits it brought in minimising stress injuries for the performers. Harlequin’s knowledge and expertise in developing floors for dance are informed by the results of bio-medical research, which has demonstrated reductions in injury to dancers and was an important requirement...

Challenging Environments Stage floors for challenging environments Marine environments – stages for cruise ships Harlequin Marine The popularity of cruise vacations has led to the commissioning of larger and more lavish ships including extensive entertainment facilities and well-equipped theatres. The marine environment and demands particular to ocean-going stages are challenges met by Harlequin’s experienced engineering and installation teams. The range of specialist permanent flooring used on cruise liners includes Harlequin Marine, a hard-wearing, homogeneous vinyl which conforms to...

Challenging Environments Grand Théâtre De Bordeaux A Harlequin Activity sprung floor with a Harlequin Studio surface was installed in a semi-circular shape in the Salle des Peintres, covering 255sq.m of the total 500sq.m space. The room was converted into a dance studio with the perimeter of the room designed as a warming-up area, since the height under the original beams was not sufficient for dance practice. The Salle des Peintres is situated immediately above the main opera room and Harlequin Activity was preferred for its acoustic properties. Floor traps were fitted in order to allow...

Sprung Floors Sprung floors for dance and ballet wagons International venues with a large stage that is shared alternately between the resident ballet and opera companies are constantly presented with a problem: how to manage the regular transition of a stage floor designed for dance into a multi-purpose floor with scenery tracks and elevators required for opera productions. A sprung floor designed for dance flexes under impact giving a softer feel and reduces the risk of injury to the performer. Harlequin Liberty is a modular sprung floor panel system with good area elasticity, designed...

Sprung Floors Royal Opera House ballet wagon When their ballet wagon was in need of a complete refurbishment, the Royal Opera House’s technical team called on the expertise of Harlequin Floors’ craftsmen. Working under the direction of Harlequin’s Senior Technical Director, the old ballet wagon was stripped back to its steel frame where the structure was inspected before rebuilding. A layer of custom-sized Harlequin Liberty panels was permanently installed over a triple layer of sound insulating materials. The panels were custom-tuned to reflect the response of Harlequin Floors already...

Stages and studios with integral acoustic properties Stage floors that are integral to acoustic design Sometimes the choice of the appropriate stage floor construction can also contribute beneficially to the acoustic characteristics of the space. Sprung floor systems utilising a multi-layer sandwich construction provide suitable noise damping and acoustic separation from other areas of the building. Theatre and acoustic consultants have the option of evaluating stage and studio flooring as an acoustic sympathetic component, whether the surface is finished in hardwood or vinyl. Harlequin...

Acoustic Floors Shakespeare’s Globe, Sackler Studios Harlequin Activity with hardwood surface Sackler Studios, Shakespeare’s Globe, London “It’s not just a dance surface it’s also an acoustics surface.” said Andy Scorgie, Head of Facilities Management at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, talking about the floor installation by Harlequin at their education and rehearsal centre. The Globe’s selection of a Harlequin Activity sprung floor with hardwood oak surface was chosen not just for its spring characteristics and aesthetics, but also for its acoustic properties. Located close to Shakespeare’s...