Maltbury Staging, led by Philip Sparkes and Jason Tucker, won the contract to design, manufacture and install the seating tier structures to both the main house and second space. The contract also included provision of fixed and demountable staging throughout the venue and further areas were added while the crew was on site.
The steep balconies demanded a highly customised structure, whereas the stalls were best served by a deck-based approach. Understanding these varying demands, Maltbury responded with a bespoke framework up top and decking tiers below.
Precision manufacture was combined with a flexible response to changing circumstances: the architects' drawings were late but Maltbury met a challenging deadline to complete the steelwork and arrive at site on time. Smart forward planning led to the use of a colour coding system in the stalls. Each row was allocated a colour so that, even when faced with almost 150 similar frames, the right ones were easy to locate.
Stephen Clarke, project manager for contractors Cleary Doyle, said: "Maltbury Staging was a key player in delivering the seating structure. Their hands-on approach ensured that any problems encountered were dealt with swiftly. Their experience was beneficial in completing what was an unusual design and layout. I look forward to working with them in the future."
Look out for a full review of the new Wexford venue in the October 2008 issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine.
(Jim Evans)
