In 1996 the plant - which supplied linseed oil for the manufacturing of paint, soap and margarine - closed and was rejuvenated as an event location by a local couple who took great pride in maintaining the historical and industrial character of the building. DeFabrique is now a successful, well-equipped venue for meetings and events from 50 to 3,500 people offering eight charismatic halls for hire which have been lit with around 400 Robe PARFect 100 fixtures supplied by Bijman Audiovisual.
Bijman Audiovisual, based in De Meern, specialises in supplying sound, lighting and AV to corporate events. It's now run by Ramon Bijman, was originally founded and run by his parents and has been flourishing for 35 years before their retirement 6 years ago.
Bijman AV has been providing DeFabrique's technical requirements for the last 15 years, but last year it was time for a major technical overhaul.
Ramon sought a cost effective, flexible and uber-cool energy efficient lighting solution to replace the generic PAR 46 'house' lighting of the previous installation. It was also important to Ramon to preserve the rawness and edginess of DeFabrique's industrial atmosphere and combine it with a thoroughly modern, carbon-conscious lighting scheme.
The PARFect 100s were Bijman AV's first Robe purchase, a choice based on the quality of the light output and the richness and diversity of the colours.
The lights are all rigged as high as possible in the various ceiling spaces around DeFabrique - up to 20m in some cases - so not to intrude, and help maintain the original look and vibe of the venue, complete with all the original industrial elements that make it so dramatic and interesting.
(Jim Evans)
