Opera Podlaska

Opera Podlaska, one of the biggest cultural complexes in Poland, is currently under construction in Bialystok. The Opera's main stage will have an auditorium for 800 guests; the building will also have a smaller stage, choir, ballet and orchestra rehearsal rooms, and an outdoor amphitheater. A consortium led by LTT will be responsible for stage technology inside the Opera. The project is set for completion in January 2012.

The Opera will be located at Kalinowski Street on a picturesque St. Magdalene's hill. The building will merge with its surroundings - just like the hill's slopes, it will be covered with green. Prof. Marek Budzynski, one of Poland's most recognized architects and the designer of the Opera, is well known for his trademark use of living plants to decorate walls and rooftops, and his fondness for green-tinted materials; these elements feature prominently in his most famous works, the Warsaw Supreme Court building and the Warsaw University Library building. The hanging gardens of the Library have won the hearts of Warsaw's citizens and are a popular leisure spot.

Stage technology for the Opera has been designed by EMWU-Projekt design company. The executive designs for all four halls will be created by a consortium led by LTT; the consortium will also implement the designs. The consortium consists of:

• LTT — consortium leader
• Wagner Biro
• Promont
• M. Ostrowski

Within the consortium, the role of LTT is to coordinate the creation of the executive designs for stage technology, creating executive designs for lighting systems, implementing stage lighting and acoustics and delivery of additional equipment.

About stage technology in the Opera

Main stage

The main stage of the Opera will have a very high (16 meters tall) portal, bringing the cubature of the hall to 18000 cubic meters. A Wagner curtain will be installed. Upper stage mechanics will consist of 4 light bridges, 49 fly bars parallel to the audience plus 4 perpendicular fly bars.

Lower stage mechanics will comprise of four bi-level stage lifts and an orchestra lift. Each of the bi-level lifts' top levels will have five removable trapdoors: on the lower level, mobile stage lifts may be positioned in one of the five positions. There will be two mobile lifts in total.

The stage will be connected to two wings (right and back). In the back wing, a full-width stage wagon with a mobile revolving stage will be installed. The back stage will also have six fly bars to facilitate easier positioning of large pieces of scenery. The side wing will contain four scenery wagons 3 by 14 meters each.

Ten bridges will be hung above the auditorium, under which glass baffle boards will be suspended. By moving the bridges and changing the ballfes' suspension angles it will be possible to freely adjust the acoustics of the auditorium. Two of the bridges will double as light bridges as well. Around the auditorium, acoustic courtains will be mounted, allowing additional influence on the sound characteristics. For concerts and similar events, the Opera will also be equipped in a folding acoustic shell.

LTT will also provide seats for the auditorium. The stage will have four sets of additional folding, mobile tribunes with 96 seats each, allowing the auditorium to be extended onto the stage to create a theater in the round experience, should the play director choose to do so.

LTT will install a lighting control system based on Compulite Vector consoles and Compulite regulators; the system will be based on the Ethernet protocol. 288 regulated circuits will be used. The Opera's lighting stock will consist mainly of Selecon brand lights.

Small stage

The smaller stage will have a total cubature of 2100 cubic meters and will be able to seat around 130 guests, depending on the needs of the event. The small stage will have a freely configurable auditorium thanks to four independent, mobile folding tribunes, 54 mechanically adjustable platforms with variable height placend in the floor pit and 40 additional, mobile platforms.

6 electric fly bars will be found above the scene. As with the main stage, the lighting control system will be based on Compulite solutions. Over 70 circuits will be used.

Three rehearsal rooms will also be equipped in baffle boards mounted on walls as well as ceilings.