The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has transformed its Sheikh Zayed Theatre with an upgraded AV system powered by Extron NAV Pro AV over IP and TouchLink Pro control technologies. Working in collaboration with U.K.-based integrator GVAV, the project overhauled the 400-seat flagship venue to deliver flexible, reliable performance for daily lectures, hybrid teaching, high-profile public discussions, and live broadcasts. With Extron’s scalable network-based video distribution and intuitive control technologies at the core, the theater now supports seamless operation across academic and professional events.
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“The Extron NAV system has given the venue the flexibility and reliability it needs to host everything from daily lectures to high-profile broadcasts, all managed through an intuitive control interface,” said Michael Courts, marketing manager at GVAV. “Seeing how easily the staff have embraced the new capabilities is a real testament to the design and planning that went into this project.”
The university required a high-performance AV solution capable of supporting daily academic functions as well as dynamic hybrid events. In addition to native lecture recording and presentation delivery, the system needed to accommodate external broadcast crews who regularly connect to the internal infrastructure for live events. Reliability was paramount; any downtime or complexity in system navigation could compromise high-stakes broadcasts or scheduled lectures.
A key consideration was maintaining a flexible presentation environment that could serve both in-person and remote audiences with equal clarity. The AV upgrade had to be deployed during the tight three-week window of the winter recess, requiring precise coordination and pre-planned network configurations. The initial vision included an expansive LED wall, but due to cost and scheduling implications, an alternate display system was specified with three edge-blended laser projectors.
Completed during the university’s winter recess, the installation introduced a robust AV infrastructure including Extron NAV encoders, decoders, and the NAVigator system manager for centralized content routing, supported by advanced control processors and TouchLink Pro touchpanels. Three edge-blended 10,000-lumen projectors, auxiliary 4K displays, and multiple PTZ cameras provide a dynamic visual experience for both in-person and remote audiences. The network-based design ensures future scalability, enabling LSE to expand capabilities without disruptive rewiring, while streamlined interfaces empower faculty, presenters, and technicians to manage sessions with confidence.
