LA PROPOINT JOINS MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE RENOVATION TEAM

Company’s Work on Museum’s Peltz Theatre Sets the Stage for New Theatrical and House Lighting

(Sun Valley, Calif.) April 23, 2008 – LA ProPoint, Southern California’s leader in the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of stage and show systems, announced today that it has joined the multifaceted project team tackling the multimillion dollar renovation of the Museum of Tolerance.

“The LA ProPoint team’s work is behind so many of the great cultural and entertainment experiences in this city, from the Hollywood Bowl to the newly renovated Alex Theatre,” said Chris Conte, the business development manager at Electrosonic, the lighting contractor for the project.  “It seemed right to call them in to assist in the Museum of Tolerance update.”

“It was an honor for the team to have the opportunity to say yes to Chris,” said Harvey Sweet, vice president of LA ProPoint.  “The Museum of Tolerance is not only an important cultural center in Los Angeles, it is unique in the world.  We are happy to play a part in creating the experience that future museum visitors will enjoy.”

At the Museum of Tolerance, LA ProPoint’s efforts have been focused on the museum’s main gathering area, the Peltz Theatre.  Once the theatre was stripped to its structure, LA ProPoint began collaborating with the project’s architect, engineer, contractor, and lighting designer to identify viable positions for the installation of theatrical and house lighting on moving lighting battens—actually a complex truss design that incorporates an electrical raceway and an aluminum pipe assembly to enhance strength.    

LA ProPoint chose Desisti overhead rigging and batten hoists with circuits to accommodate the architecture, best meet the room’s lighting needs, and incorporate safety features not inherent to other traditional theatre hoists.  Each ceiling hoist has a lifting capacity of approximately 1000 pounds and travels at a speed of 30 feet per minute.  The pipe battens are approximately 39 feet long and designed to fit around a highly specialized, complex and expensive acoustical ceiling.

The battens travel from within the ceiling above the audience to a floor maintenance level where lamps and gels can be replaced.   The solution is a convenient one, but the creation of it required sophisticated planning, complicated engineering, and a three-phase installation process.

“It’s exactly the kind of job that LA ProPoint is known for,” said Peter Turchyn, LA ProPoint’s team leader on the Peltz Theatre project.

Once LA ProPoint’s installation work is complete, house and theatrical lighting will be mounted on pipes, and the entire lighting system for the theatre will be controlled from a remote backstage position behind the stage left proscenium arch.
 
“The LA ProPoint team anticipated and then met all my needs, giving me the framework upon which the Electrosonic team can install the new lighting in the Peltz Theatre,” said Steve Calver, Electrosonic’s manager of the new Peltz project.  “It was a pleasure working with such an experienced and collaborative group.”

About LA ProPoint