Moscow-based installers Light Sound Contractor (LSC) specified Robe moving lights for a project at the Tropicana Restaurant in the Arbat Entertainment Centre (AEC), Moscow which has undergone a complete refurbishment.

The AEC venue contains a club, restaurant and casino and is also used to stage boxing contests and other pugilistic events. It is located on Arbat Street, one of the best known thoroughfares of the city.

LSC have engaged in many design, supply and installation projects in the casino world, and have also completed several other schemes within Arbat, which is why they won the contract to kit out the restaurant.

In addition to tables, the Tropicana also features a stage for live music and cabaret performances and a dancefloor area for discos, so the new lighting rig needed to have an additional degree of flexibility explains LSC's Andrey Zhukov.

With guests needing to clearly see what's happening on stage, they specified a selection of Robe ColorWash 250 AT, MS Zoom 250 XTs and Scan 250 XTs, which are positioned around a box truss over the dancefloor and on trussing in front of the stage. These were chosen for their small size, brightness and value-added features.

Anolis Arc Line 36 RGB  fixtures are used for up lighting the centres of a series of false palm trees surrounding the dancefloor - as the restaurant is themed in tropical lagoon style. It's one of the first times that LSC has used Anolis and they are really pleased with the results.

Zhukov says that incorporating Anolis into lighting schemes is a trend which he expects to accelerate rapidly, as venue owners and operators become aware of the cost savings and benefits brought by using quality LED products. "We will definitely be incorporating a lot more LED into future projects" he says.

All the Tropicana's stage and scenic lighting is controlled via a WholeHog 3 console. The kit is serviced and cleaned once a month by LSC's team of engineers, as is that of approximately 25 other club installations in the Moscow area, many of which are based around Arbat Street.

LSC has been using Robe fixtures since 2003, and are very impressed with the reliability and the fact that the brand is constantly evolving to meet new markets and creative demands. "At present Robe is the brand of choice for multi-purpose clubs in Moscow" says Zhukov, adding that the service and backup they receive from Robe is excellent - and a vital part of the supply chain.