After a horrific electrical fire that left the Georgia Theatre completely destroyed from wall to wall, Barbizon was called to bring a new life back to one of Athens’ most popular music venues that helped to launch bands like the B52’s and R.E.M.. Starting new from nothing but the four existing walls of the venue, Barbizon brought their expertise in design and management to breathe new life into a historical place of performance. Reviving the feel of the old venue along with upgrading the performance of the venue’s architectural dimming, lighting, rigging, and soft goods systems made for an interesting project.
“We threw a lot onto Barbizon’s plate during the rebuild,” says Wilmot Greene, the Georgia Theatre’s owner. “We wanted to preserve the dramatic look and feel of the old Georgia Theatre and this meant making some strange decisions regarding architectural lighting and drapery. The team from Barbizon delivered everything we needed to accomplish that classic look with a modern, reliable, and affordable install.”
The Barbizon team consulted on the project and provided systems integration and layout, along with management and coordination of the other trades working to complete the project. Working with an electrical contractor that was new to theatrical systems, Barbizon applied its expertise in mastering theatrical and architectural systems and helped the electrical contractor excel during the install.The resulting package for the Georgia Theatre consisted of an ETC SR48 dimming system with Smartlink Architectural, as well as an assortment of lighting fixtures from ACL PAR bars, Source 4 ellipsoidals and PARs, and a data distribution package. Barbizon’s rigging expertise was also applied, bringing new rigging for lighting positions in the house and overstage, complete with a Poly Velour curtain package.
Barbizon proves once again that no matter the degree of destruction in a venue, providing an older facility with a new life and revitalized system integration is all in a day’s work.
