The performance center controls project at Groton Hill Music Center was recognized with a Lighting Control Innovation Award of Merit in the 2025 Illumination Awards held by the Illuminating Engineering Society. Lighting and control design by Ripman Lighting Consultants. Photography by Chris Ripman and Eric Vickery.
The Lighting Control Innovation Award was created in 2011 as part of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Illumination Awards program, which recognizes professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design. The Lighting Controls Academy is proud to be a founding and longstanding founding sponsor of the Lighting Control Innovation Award, which recognizes projects that exemplify the effective use of lighting controls.
The new Groton Hill Music Center incorporates a music school, a 1,000-seat performance hall, 400-seat recital hall, orchestral rehearsal space, and public spaces. The site is substantial and complex in terms of the objectives of the owner.
Four separate lighting control systems allow flexible control of site and interior lighting: wireless-mesh-network (site); theatrical (performance spaces), wireless-mesh-network (color-tunable LED sources), and hardwired (school and public spaces). All systems can take direction from the theatrical control system, and can provide status feedback to the building energy management system.
Using wireless-mesh-network controls, custom decorative pendants and linear uplights can be preset to provide an infinite range of color effects, from white to vivid color.
The wireless-mesh network system is integrated with the theatrical system for unified preset control. Latency effects of the wireless-mesh-network system were reviewed and judged acceptable, as this is not a rock-and-roll venue.
In the recital hall, RGBW+ tunable coves and pendants enable dramatic change of presentation for performances.
Custom pendants over stages incorporate both wireless-mesh-network controlled screw-base variable color sources for general light and DMX controlled RGBWA theatrical fixtures.
Concert hall lighting consists of indirect coves, dimmable downlights, decorative cylinders between structural arches, and simple ceiling-mounted plastic cubes, all controlled by the theatrical system. Downlights required modification to work in a 4-in. concrete slab over a 4-in. wood ceiling.
The theatrical system allows control of 12 universes of DMX addresses, all data distributed via a TCP/IP network. Snapshot presets are possible from the consoles.
Lighting for circulation spaces and school is controlled via a hard-wired system, which can take input from the theatrical system where blink-control is required.
Site lighting is controlled by a separate wireless-mesh-network control system due to the substantial site size.
The impact: a seamlessly integrated, easy-to-use control system, facilitating both performances and education.
The new Groton Hill Music site incorporates a music school, a 1,000 seat performance hall, a 400-seat recital hall, and an orchestral rehearsal space.
Four separate systems allow flexible control of site and interior lighting: wireless-mesh-network (site); theatrical (performance spaces), wireless-mesh-network (color-tunable LED sources), and hardwired (school and public spaces).
Using wireless-mesh-network controls, custom decorative pendants and linear uplights can be preset to provide an infinite range of color effects,from white to vivid color.
The wireless-mesh network system is integrated with the theatrical system for unified preset control. Latency effects of the wireless-mesh-network system were reviewed and judged acceptable.
The halls become lanterns for the site. Massive doors at the rear of the concert hall open to enable lawn seating for summer concert-going.
Custom pendants over stages incorporate both wireless-mesh-network controlled screw-base sources for general light and DMX controlled theatrical fixtures.
Concert hall lighting consists of indirect coves, dimmable downlights, decorative cylinders between structural arches, and simple ceiling-mounted plastic cubes, all controlled by the theatrical system.
The theatrical system allows control of 12 universes of DMX addresses, all data distributed via TCP/IP network. Snapshot presets are possible from the consoles.
Lighting for school and circulation spaces is controlled via a hard-wired control system, which can take input from the theatrical system where blink-control is required.
Site lighting is controlled by a separate wireless-mesh-network control system due to the substantial site size. All control systems are easily accessible by management.
