Klaipėda State Music Theatre
Klaipėda State Music Theatre is the most modern music theatre in Lithuania – after an impressive reconstruction, new advanced technological equipment has been integrated here.
The old auditorium was demolished and replaced by a new extension, which houses the large and small auditoriums, as well as a technical block for the stage, rehearsal studios, costume and scenery storage in the cellar.
Scenos Techninis Servisas (StS) designed and installed the ultra-modern chairs for the main hall, the grandstand for the small hall, and the mechanics of the large and small halls: stage platforms and the upper machinery system, as well as the curtains for the stage and the control systems for the latter. In total, five unique stage platforms and a rotating wheel were built, covering a total area of about 250 square metres. The lighting bars and scenery stacks are lifted by 40 high-speed hoists with a total lifting capacity of 20 tonnes.
“These lifts are very fast, precise and safe, and they can be used to lift the scenery while people are on stage, under the load, allowing us to fulfil the complex scenography of the show. The double height of the stage tower means that the scenery for the entire production can be hooked up, raised above the stage and changed in real time according to the script,” says Julius Gružinskas, Head of Design at StS, about the work.
A total of 40 lifting lines have been designed for the upper machinery system of the Great Hall stage: the stage curtain lifting/opening system, the lighting bars, the scenery lifting system and the stage horizon system. All of them are lifted by Winwood hoists, a Latvian manufacturer. The front stage curtain is designed with dual functionality: it can be opened from the centre to the sides or raised from the bottom to the top.
The Great Hall is equipped with a movable orchestral platform, which allows three scenarios to be realised: when the platform is in the lower position, an orchestra space is created, also known as an orchestra pit, where the orchestra is accommodated during the performance; when the platform is raised to the middle position, the audience space is expanded and additional chairs for the audience can be installed on the floor of the platform; and when the platform is in the upper position, the total area of the stage is expanded.
The stage area has three two-level stage platforms – lifts for lifting scenery and other scenic elements. All platforms are lifted by reliable and precise Serapid lifts. The movable stage platforms can also be used as part of the scenography: they have 3 fixed positions according to the intended scenarios for the platforms.
The control system provides control of each platform lift individually, of a selected group of platform lifts or of all platform lifts together, and of raising or lowering the platforms to the desired altitude at the operator’s discretion. It is a unique one-off product that meets the highest SIL 3 safety requirements.
“This is undoubtedly the largest mechanical installation we have done in Lithuania,” says Mr Gružinskas.
Modern chairs with integrated screens
There have never been chairs like the ones installed in Klaipėda by the StS team in Lithuania! Over 700 chairs from the Italian manufacturer Aresline have been installed in the KSMT Great Hall. The main chairs are Chrono chairs with elegant minimalist lines; the standard chairs of this model are located above the orchestra pit and are easy to dismantle and store when the performance is with the orchestra. The main auditorium chairs have extended backs, and additional Strapuntino folding chairs are fitted to the sides of the back rows – small but comfortable. Some of the chairs in the auditorium can be dismantled, freeing up space for a wheelchair. The colours of all the chairs – from the tapestry to the armrests and other details – are in line with the design vision of the new hall and meet the highest standards of comfort, acoustics and fire safety. The attention to detail in this project was very high, which is why we chose a reliable and experienced partner from Italy, who provided both expertise and advice.
The chairs in the Great Hall are equipped with a libretto information system by Italian manufacturer Marconi. The screens are integrated in the back of the chair backs and the screens for the front rows are on the balustrades in front. The screens are touch-sensitive, colour-coded, intuitively operated and can broadcast not only the text of the libretto, but also announcements of other events and topical news. The system supports synchronous translation in up to 8 languages. The data is transmitted to the screens by the theatre technicians via a central data transmission network, where it is also possible to change the brightness of the screens at the start of the performance. Each screen also has a unique address, so that individual screens or groups of screens can be given personalised information.
Due to the aesthetic appearance of the auditorium, the screens have been fully integrated into the chairs. “This was the biggest challenge for the designers – we had to incorporate a technologically sophisticated system into the furniture. This multimedia network is carefully laid out throughout the hall, but is not visible. The Klaipėda State Music Theatre project is a design, creativity and technology challenge that was perfectly met by our team,” says Julius Gružinskas, Head of StS Design Department.