Project Hammersmith Apollo, London

LUX magazine reports. First impressions count at one of London’s top music venues. Robert Bain reports. The names of London’s major theatres and concert halls have become iconic, and few more so than the Hammersmith Apollo. The Apollo first opened as the Gaumont Palace cinema in 1932, with a huge seating capacity of over 3,000, and lavish front-of-house facilities including a large first floor restaurant. In the 1960s it was renamed the Hammersmith Odeon (a name by which many still know the venue), and became a concert hall. The list of musicians to have graced the stage reads like a who’s who of the past half century of popular music. FADED LUSTRE But like many such venues, the once opulent Apollo has not had the best of care over the years. As its use evolved from swish cinema to sweaty rock n’ roll venue, the Apollo’s lustre faded. Now the Grade II listed building is in the midst of a rebirth. When Kate Bush made her comeback this August after a 35-year hiatus, she did it at the Apollo, and the place looked better than ever. Owners AEG Live and Eventim have embarked on a major refurbishment. The façade and front-of-house areas have already had their former glory restored, with the latest technology achieving effects not possible before, and bringing the best out of the building’s architecture. Next up will be the auditorium, which is set to be revamped next year. THE NEW OLD FASHIONED WAY The Apollo wanted to use fittings that matched the originals that were installed years ago – but not all of them could be saved or converted to use new light sources. Some were fitted with modern light sources, while others were recreated completely, based on photos. The new lighting was designed by James Morse Lighting Design, with products supplied by Great British Lighting, Philips Color Kinetics, LightGraphix, Concord, Crescent, Radiant, Applelec and controls specialist Pharos Visit novelenergylighting.com for products, services, and finances for retrofitting your buildings Shuttla