Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll and Big Ass Fans
When Athens’ celebrated Georgia Theatre burned down on June 19, 2009, owner Wilmot Greene took the misfortune as an opportunity to modernize the space, while retaining the theatre’s historic roots.
The first question many employees and patrons asked Greene after the fire was, “What happened to the fan?” Greene had installed a 24-foot PowerfoilX Plus fan from the Big Ass Fan Company in 2008 to help with air movement in the 850-person performance space.
“When the place burned, all I heard was, ‘Is the fan still up?’” said Greene. “And then when we were rebuilding: ‘Are you all going to put a fan in there?’”
The Georgia Theatre underwent renovations in 2010 and 2011 and reopened August 1, 2011. The newly renovated 5,000 square-foot concert hall was renovated with Big Ass Fans in mind.
“When we were designing the place, my architects and I had this long discussion about chandeliers, because a lot of great music venues have chandeliers,” explained Greene. “And I made it very clear early on that my chandeliers were going to be Big Ass Fans.”
Greene installed one 18-foot Element® and two 10-foot diameter Isis® fans from the Big Ass Fan Company for aesthetic appeal, but also for the cooling effect.
The effectiveness of a large diameter, low speed fan lies in its ability to move large volumes of air slowly and gently without disrupting the atmosphere of the facility. During northeastern Georgia’s stifling spring and summer, with the fans operating between 70 to 100 percent of capacity, the additional air movement does not cool the air, but rather creates a cooling sensation as the breeze passes over occupants’ skin.
Air conditioning vents in the theatre’s ceiling direct air to each of the fans, which help to push cool air down to occupant level.
“Form and functionality were very important,” Greene explained. “We designed the air conditioning system with the Big Ass Fans in mind.”
The theatre reopened with a sold-out show the by the Drive by Truckers on a steamy, 95 F August evening. “We were at capacity, and the room never got above 72 degrees,” Greene said. “We had 1,100 people jamming, and no one was sweating.”
For less raucous theatre gigs, the fans are “whisper quiet,” according to Greene. “They’ve never gotten in the way,” he said.
Although many venue owners see overhead fans as a possible obstruction to lights or sound equipment, Georgia Theatre’s fans are flush with the bottom of the roof truss, and “they don’t get in the way,” Greene said. “They’re gorgeous, and they really work.”