A former historic church in Amsterdam has been transformed into a vibrant multi-purpose venue with the help of ETC lighting and control, supplied and installed by ETC dealer Controllux.
The Balkissoon Theater in Amsterdam Amstel is a 550-seat venue housed within a church originally built in 1957.
Following years of disuse, developer and visionary Lenny Karamchand Balkissoon transformed the historic building into a multi-purpose venue designed to bring people together. It includes theatre productions, dance performances, concerts, corporate events, community gatherings, a hotel, restaurants and more.
Supporting this varied programme, 16 ETC ColorSource Fresnel V fixtures have been installed alongside an ETCnomad Puck controller, with customised Magic Sheets created by Controllux to allow simple, trouble-free operation for users of all experience levels.
For Balkissoon, the priority was to invest in a quality lighting system that was both accessible and future-ready.
The venue required a solution that was simple to operate whilst delivering the quality and flexibility needed to support a wide range of performances and events.
The ColorSource Fresnel V fixtures and ETCnomad Puck control offered the ideal solution at a price point that suited the project.
For Controllux’s Account Manager Jelle van der Holst, the installation marked his first independently managed project.
“There was a real sense of trust throughout,” he says. “Lenny believed in our expertise, and we believed in his vision for the space. That collaboration helped make the project a success.”
Balkissoon’s journey is as remarkable as the venue itself. Raised on a farm, he spent 20 years as a professional dancer before establishing what became the world’s largest privately owned dance centre “Chasse Dance Studios”.
When he was approached in 2011 about redeveloping the former church, he saw the opportunity to create something far greater than a performance venue.
His vision was to preserve the building while creating a destination centred on bringing people together.
The transformation of the church into a modern, multi-purpose venue called for a lighting solution that matched its new purpose.
The selected ETC’s products provide the flexibility and reliability needed to support the venue’s future performances for years to come.
