Preserving History, Upgrading Performance: A Modern Lighting System for Medford’s Chevalier

At PORT, when we say we transform spaces, we mean it. We are very proud to show our latest theatrical installation at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford, MA, in collaboration with Seaport Energy (IBEW 103). The goal was to preserve the historical nature of the theater, while adding modern color-changing light that would serve as a permanent installation. For this project, we did a full upgrade of the existing incandescent house lighting system to a modern LED and pixel-controlled RGBW solution. 

Scope of Work 🔍

In order to transform Chevalier Theatre's lighting system from an incandescent system to a smart LED system, a lot of renovation had to go into the project, with many complicated parts involved. To start, hundreds of 25-watt incandescent lamps across four concentric cove structures were replaced with approximately 850 ft of Environmental Lights Dual Bend Cove Wash RGBW pixel tape. This change resulted in a large decrease in energy usage. If the 1,698 lamps at the top of the theatre were at full output, they would take up 42,450 watts of electricity, while full output of the top LED tape only amounts to 6,120 watts! For the under balcony lights, 124 150-watt lights were replaced by 16.5-watt LED lights, bringing energy usage down from 18,600 to 2,046 watts! Existing lumiline incandescent sconces were also replaced by custom LED retrofit lights. In order to add in the LED controls, the ETC sensor rack also needed to be updated. This consisted of putting in a new CEM3 processor, new fans and seals, and a combination of R20 relays and LED10 dimmers to support LED loads. To easily work the lights, a Pharos control system with Advatek long-range pixel transmitter/receiver distribution was installed.

Technical Design & Implementation 📝

• Used ADVATEK long-range pixel transmission to distribute data efficiently while minimizing channel count:
  • Condensed pixel control from ~12,000 channels down to ~2,048 (approx. 16" resolution)
• Designed a distributed network infrastructure:
  • Installed patch bays above the AV closet and at a central attic location
  • Each of the 16 distributed DIN-rail enclosures houses power supplies and pixel receivers
  • Patch bays allow flexible routing and easy future integration for new fixtures or gateways
• Repurposed existing cove dimming circuits as switched loads to extend the life of new power supplies
• Installed dual bend tape to follow tight curves and maintain consistent beam angles
• Used mounting clips instead of channel to achieve the necessary bend radius while keeping fixtures secure
• Custom tape lengths and connectorized tails streamlined installation and reduced on-site time
  
• A significant amount of prep time went into this project to coordinate ahead of time how long the tails needed to be. This streamlined the process and allowed for easy plug-in of the tape lighting.

Challenges 🛠️

• Aging Infrastructure
  • Original Building fabric and wiring had been "patched" for decades; some circuits and fixtures were shorting out or were unstable
  • Wooden plank catwalk required careful navigation; some areas accessible only by crawling in low-light conditions 
    
• Difficult Work Environment
  • Coves were lined with rough-cut metal lath and irregular access hatches
  • Needed gentle handling of existing sconces using custom tube lamps
• Coordination & Logistics
  • Careful sequencing with Seaport Energy to intercept dimmed power feeds, convert to relays, and extend to new driver locations
  • Planning around live performances and restricted access windows
• Design Constraints
  •  Required precise fixture positioning to achieve the right ceiling wash and blending across four cove rings
  • Maintaining historical aesthetics while integrating modern technology