Getting Obsessive in Durban

Monday, March 29, 1999 || Martin Professional

With state-of-the-art sound and lighting Club Obsession, in Durban, is a showcase for how the latest technology can be used in a club environment.

Club Obsession, the first major night club installation to be carried out by the Electrosonic Kwa-Zulu Natal team, is one of the finest clubs in Durban. The proprietor, who has had previous involvement in the night club scene, wanted lighting professionals to install a lighting rig of international standard.

He contacted Electrosonic KZN via Sharda Radio, and after meeting with Gerrie Coetzee of Electrosonic KZN commented, "I have come to the right place". An official order was issued and preparations for the installation began.

In terms of size, the club is no baby, being able to accommodate up to 3,000 people. Obsession features three fully equipped bars , a restaurant and take-away. An unusual first for any club in Kwa-Zulu Natal, is the glass walkway across the dance floor. A sports bar will be completed in the near future.

According to Vallen Rungasamy of Electrosonic KZN, "The installation of a lighting rig using intelligent lighting fixtures was a major task. The decor inside the club is rather extravagant, and we had to co-ordinate our work with that of the other contractors on site. This meant that we could not install any of our lights which were going underneath the glass walkway until the walkway was installed and safety tested."

Two Martin Pro 400 color changers have been installed under the glass floor, which shine up through the glass and make it look as if the glass is changing color. In addition to the glass walkway, another feature of the decor is 3D artistic designs on the walls which are painted with ultra-violet reflective paint. Large areas of the walls are covered with mirrors, which have the Obsession logo sand-blasted onto them.

Resident light jockey, Riaz Heslop, had the following comment, "The lighting rig gives me total flexibility and the options are endless. These lights can be used for different lighting shows every night".

The proprietor was certainly impressed by the completed installation, and even requested that he be kept informed of all new lighting developments at Martin that would be applicable to his club. "We will ensure that Obsession will always have the latest lighting gear available."