The Wonder brand – owned by No Saints, the leisure group established by former Luminar Leisure boss Stephen Thomas – has opened a new nightclub, Wonder Land, in Sutton, Surrey.
Back in charge of the 900-capacity venue he once operated as Liquid, Thomas brought in Dakota House of Design to develop the ‘escapist’ nightclub interior, while Mark Damon of Cosmic Electronics was enlisted to oversee the sound reinforcement.
“We have a long and successful track record working with RCF,” he said, “and so we were 110% behind the idea of working with them on this project because we know their products are of high quality and reliable.”
Mark Damon provided RCF UK with a demanding specification, which was to provide optimum coverage of two Wonder Lounge bars, at balcony level, and the large bowl underneath (known as ‘The Bizarre’). The sound also needed to be sufficiently versatile to produce not only a high impact on the dancefloor but also have the ability to complement a wide variety of live applications.
Free of any visible wiring, Cosmic Electronics managed to recess four S8028 twin 18” RCF Acustica bass reflex subwoofers into pre-existing floor furnishing, creating a cardioid array behind six mesh grilles.
Above, at balcony level, four of RCF’s corner clusters of paired RCF Acustica C5212L 2-way, 60° x 40° narrow dispersion 500W enclosures are angled down onto the dance floor. A total of 14 Acustica C3110 10” 2-way speakers and an S8015 sub provide infill sound.
Power-wise, eight RCF DPS 3000 Class HD amplifiers (2 x 1700W RMS / 2 ohms) have been assigned four each to the mid-high clusters and the S8028 subs, while five RCF HPS 2500 Class H power amps (2 x 1400W RMS/2 ohms) drive the C3110 infill speakers, with one channel powering the venue’s pre-existing ceiling speakers.
A pair of active RCF NX M10-A active mid high monitors and an ART 905-AS active sub cater to DJ booth requirements, while venue sound presets are stored in three dedicated DX4008 4-in/8-out loudspeaker management processors.
“Considering the budget spent on technology the sound is absolutely superb,” said Wonder Land’s general manager, Jay Davidson. “It is far superior to systems I have experienced at other clubs I have worked in. This integrated technology is capable of delivering a unique sound and lighting experience to what is now a new generation of clubbers, who have never been exposed to this kind of dynamic.”
Stephen Thomas added: “No Saints is on a journey, and having talented people who understand the nightclub market makes that journey more interesting and fun. Wonderland is about pure escapism – and the versatility of the sound system has enabled us to achieve all we would have hoped for and more.”
