Harlequin Liberty Switch
Winner – ABTT Engineering Product of the Year
ABTT Theatre Show 2023, London
Winner – DTHG Technology Product Award
Showtech 2023, Berlin
Winner – LDI Best Debuting Product Award
LDI 2022, Las Vegas
Harlequin Liberty Switch® is a professional multi-use floor system which transforms between a rigid theatrical floor and a sprung performance floor at the touch of a button.
It is designed for venues who regularly put on both dance and theatrical performances and so require both a sprung and a rigid floor in the same performance or rehearsal space.
Harlequin Liberty Switch enables a Harlequin Liberty sprung floor to be transformed to a rigid (unsprung) floor quickly and easily. This is achieved by using moving carriages which engage with stop blocks on the underside of the Liberty panels to create a rigid floor and disengage to create a sprung floor.
Case Study: Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera and Vienna State Ballet needed a rehearsal space with both a sprung and rigid floor that they could use on a daily basis. Following over two years of development in 2022, Harlequin’s technical teams from the UK, Luxembourg and Germany worked together to install Harlequin Liberty Switch at The Vienna State Opera House.
“We are extremely excited to be the first venue to have Harlequin Liberty Switch! It is easy to use and it is great being able to switch between a sprung and rigid floor so quickly.” Martin Schläpfer, Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer of the Vienna State Ballet.
Harlequin Liberty Switch
Who we work with
“Harlequin was the only possible choice we feel AYBC could make.”
Specifications
- Liberty Switch is a modular system that can be modified to meet any structural design requirements. The standard base units are 2m x 1m and are manufactured from 18mm birch plywood.
- Minimum build height: between 100mm and 124mm depending on site conditions, excluding surface finish.
- Power requirement: single phase 16 Amp.
- Stage features: the system can be custom designed to allow for features such as traps, lifts and revolves as required.
- Fixing: Liberty Switch can accommodate moving props up to maximum allowable load. If required, fixing to the floor is possible using custom designed plungers secured to the base battens.
- Sub-floor: must be finished to SR1.
- Floor depth: 100mm to 124mm depending on subfloor not including chosen performance surface.
