The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society

In the beginning of November 2019, the renewed Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society was presented to the public. One of the most significant renovations in the great concert hall was a unique LIGHTING SYSTEM specifically adapted to this space.

 Definite tasks were formulated for the installation of the lighting system, and they were taken on by UAB Scenos techninis servisas (STS), the company that implements integration projects.

“For over two decades now, we have been installing social and cultural spaces of various sizes, so we are happy to take on non-standard tasks. This project is unique because the entire lighting system is designed specially for this hall. We were looking for an implementation solution because no such system exists on the market. We have managed to achieve this only by uniting different manufacturers. This system is undoubtedly exclusive in Lithuania,” the Head of STS, Laurynas Paškevičius, says.

It is due to years of experience and proven partnerships that we can create such unique products.

This lighting system includes spotlights by Italian manufacturer Spotlight, the trusses and construction were made from the Dutch manufacturer Prolyte’s trusses and chain hoists, the cable collection system is by the Latvian manufacturer Winwood, and the lighting control system is provided by the British manufacturer ChamSys.

Emerging opportunities

The entire lighting system is state-of-the-art and opens up unlimited possibilities not only for performances by ensembles residing at the Philharmonic Society, but also for other art events that require non-typical lighting.

“There was absolutely nothing before, so in order to have at least some specific lighting you needed to install additional lighting equipment. Now it is possible to take full advantage of the current system, to create unique lighting designs and to do it all live. The possibilities of the new lighting system were noticed and highly appreciated by the audience that attended the opening events,” Norvydas Birulis, STS lighting engineer, says.

Subtle blending with the interior

One of the most important requirements has been implemented – the entirety of the new system blends with the interior and satisfies the requirements of heritage protection, i.e. it responsibly integrates into the architecture of the hall.

• The constructions (5 units) that reproduce the architecture of arches and match the color of the interior have been designed and installed throughout the perimeter of the hall.
• The constructions are equipped with remotely controlled lighting devices Spotlight:
• Spotlight Hyperion LED Fresnel TW with Lyra Spotlight ARC stage 3 – 18 units
• Spotlight Hyperion LED Fresnel 6C with Spotlight ARC stage 3 – 13 units
• Spotlight BEE50 BA/W – 66 units.

The lighting devices are painted the color that matches the ceiling color palette. Also, there is an integrated cabling system invisible to a human eye.

• These constructions are lifted by 250-kg lifting capacity Prolyft chain hoists mounted in the attics.

Noiseless operation

Another requirement was for the system to be working in an extremely quiet mode, i.e. the spotlights had to have convection cooling. “We seldom get requests for precise and quiet operation of mechanisms. We were looking for a manufacturer that could implement it in their products,” N. Birulis reveals.

Novel and unique lighting product

The Philharmonic Society renovation project did not set a requirement for integrating specific equipment or a manufacturer. Instead, it asked for the final lighting result on stage with very high parameters of light efficiency and system flexibility. Therefore, in Lithuania a new product was designed and manufactured by STS specialists, that was assembled from different foreign manufacturers.

Lifting system            

 The STS team also needed to come up with a lifting system and design it, as well as accommodate lifting mechanisms to fit in extremely low-ceiling attic space. STS has also designed and manufactured structures that hold spotlights above the stage and the audience.

“These elements are the essential axis of the project; and it is with their help that we were able to successfully integrate the lighting system. The building is old, the ceilings are uneven, so we have measured the vault of the hall with very advanced equipment to get a very accurate 3D drawing of the vault of the hall, according to which we have designed the metal structures that are used to hold everything,” the Head of STS says.

The spaces under the balconies of the great hall host special lighting devices with good illumination, which at the same time must not dazzle the performers appearing on stage. The entire lighting system is controlled from a special lighting panel. Additionally, certain lighting scenarios are programmed and can be activated from the wall control panel on the stage; and it is also possible to control the entire lighting system remotely from a smartphone or a tablet.

The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society boasts of a concert lighting system that has no analogues in Lithuania.