One of London’s best-preserved Victoria theatres, the Harold Pinter Theatre on Panton Street, Westminster, is now protected by a cutting-edge fire system, including more than 100 wireless devices from Apollo’s REACH range.
Known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011, the Pinter was built in 1881 to designed by Thomas Verity and, despite changes elsewhere in the building, its 796-seater three-level horseshoe auditorium is remarkably well-preserved. The building was listed by English Heritage in 1972 and is firmly established as one of the most atmospheric, if not the grandest, of London’s West End theatres.
“Balancing the preservation of a listed building with the challenges of installing a modern fire system has always been a balancing act, although wireless fire devices have been a major gamechanger,” said Sam Robinson, Project Manager at Barlows (UK) Ltd. “Working with the theatre management and Apollo, we specified and installed a system with 110 wireless devices connected to four hubs.
“The REACH range comes with a bespoke survey kit, so it is simple to design a system that covers all key areas within the building, and the 100-metre range makes it possible to cover the entire space with a small number of hubs. We had previously used the old Xpander range, which was excellent, but REACH takes wireless fire tech to the next level.”
REACH Wireless is designed to solve challenging installation scenarios for structures with restricted or complex access and installation conditions – such as listed buildings, outbuildings and temporary structures – where wired installation or long site downtime is not possible. With a battery life of up to five years, enhanced RF communications capability, compact casings and a full range of wireless devices, REACH can work as a standalone wireless system or as part of a hybrid network, with wires and wireless devices.
Craig Mole, Product Manager – Wireless at Apollo, commented: “The Harold Pinter Theatre is exactly the sort of building where wireless fire technology comes into its own. Not only is it simpler and quicker to install, but the amount of cabling required is also reduced by up to 90 per cent, which means less impact on the fabric of the building, reduced necessity to seek permission for the works, and less need to ‘make good’ once the installation is complete. It also has advantages in a working building like a theatre, where any closure is going to result in lost income.”
Apollo is a company on a mission to keep people safe from fire, every second of every day. The company specialised in the design and manufacture of high-quality fire detection solutions that protect people from fire in over 100 countries around the world. Having originally launched its XPander wireless range in 2008, Apollo followed up with the enhanced REACH Wireless range in 2022.
“We’re very proud of a theatre, which is a living and working piece of genuine Victoriana in the heart of London, so we naturally want a fire system that protects our visitors and actors, while having minimal impact on the fabric of the building, said Barnaby Hallam, Technical and Building Manager at the Harold Pinter Theatre. “Working with the Apollo team, we were able to tick all the boxes and the finished system is doubly impressive, being both fit for purpose and also much less intrusive than the old wired network.”
Based in Havant, Hampshire, on the UK’s south coast, Apollo operates through regional offices in the UK, China, Dubai, and Germany, supporting a network of partners and distributors on all five continents. Apollo has been part of Halma plc, a FTSE 100-listed group of life-saving technology companies, since 1983.
For further information please contact: www.apollo-fire.co.uk
