National Forum of Music – Wrocław

Long awaited opening of the facility took place on the 4th of September. The object’s design was developed by the Pracownia Architektury Kuryłowicz & Associates. One of the initiators of the National Forum OF Music is Mr. Andrzej Kosendiak, the Managing Director of the Wrocław Philharmonic and the Wratislavia Cantans International Festival. As the Wrocław President’s commissioner, Mr. Kosendiak coordinated the building project of the NMF. The general contractor of the project was the consortium of PB Inter-System and Elektromontaż Rzeszów SA, and the Investor – the Wrocław’s Municipality.

The National Forum of Music, located by the Liberation Square in Wrocław, is an object of a  total area of 25 000 square meters and a cubic capacity of 400 000 m3. The facility holds a main Concert Hall, ready to accept 1800 spectators, three smaller Chamber Rooms with an audience for 250 to 450 people, rehearsal rooms, conference and office rooms, recording studio, library and an exhibition space, as well as an underground parking space.

Perfect acoustics is provided by the innovative solutions – each of the halls is made with double layered walls, providing a perfect isolation from the vibrations and outside interference. Thanks to such solution, even four concert characterized by the highest volume level can take place simultaneously, free from any disturbance. It is a world-class standard object based on the state-of-the-art architectonic ideas.

The National Forum of Music is the headquarters of numerous assemblies: Orchestra and Choir of the Wrocław Philharmonic, The Wrocław’s Chamber Orchestra Leopodium, The Wroclaw’s Baroque Orchestra, Lutoslawski Quartet Wroclaw and festivals: Wratislavia Cantans, Musica Polonica Nova, Musica Electronica Nova, Leo Festival, Forum Musicum, Jazztopad.

The Przedsiębiorstwo Specjalistyczne TEATR Marek Gumiński was responsible for the project, delivery and installation of the technology lighting equipment, stage machinery and the acoustic curtains system, as well as the audience lighting controlling system.

The Artec Consultants Inc company from New York developed the conceptual design, together with the guidelines concerning functionality, number and type of facilities and assembly, along with full equipment specification. On this basis, the P.S. TEATR created the executive documentation, and as its outcome, the whole set of equipment was chosen and delivered. The contract’s engineer was an international company – ARUP.

The heart of the National Forum of Music is the Main Concert Hall, ready to accept an audience of a total of 1800 people – 900 on the ground floor and the rest – on three balconies. Above the balconies there is also a technical storey, on which the acoustic panels hoists (canopy), banner, stage barrels and speaker baskets winches, as well as 24 pcs of mobile chain hoists had been installed.

The Main Hall is a complicated acoustic system, allowing for its adaptation for the needs of various types of events. 22 acoustic panels installed on steel cables under the ceiling, may be freely lowered and raised, changing therefore the acoustic performance of the Hall. Additionally, the variable Hall acoustics is performed via 34 pieces of  2-ton, concrete acoustic chamber gates, opening automatically via special servomotors. The gates have pre-programmed positions for different acoustic attributes of the hall, and the complex security system allows for its safe use, even with the audience present.

The Main Concert Hall has also been fitted with a system of forty acoustic curtains surrounding nearly the whole  audience, and a set of dozen or so, acoustic banners. The acoustic curtains system allows for the diversion of the hall’s acoustics, depending on the spectacle characteristics.

The stage of the National Forum of Music’s Main Hall is equipped in

3 stage trapdoors with a Spiralift drive system, additionally fitted with the choir and chair trolleys. All mechanical devices (panels, gates, curtains, acoustic banners) are being controlled from the central drive system, thanks to which it is possible to fully synchronize the movement of all devices. The SIL3 security system enables the devices to work even during performances or concerts. The stage machinery setup control is performed by the AIDA controlling system.

The National Forum of Music is equipped in a complex light park, including among others: 50 pcs of VL1100TS ERS moving heads by Philips Vari*Lite, 276 pcs of ETC’s Source Four reflectors with variable optics (5°, 14°, 36°, 50°, 15°-30°, 25°-50°), 100 PAR type reflectors – the ETC’s Source Four PAR EA, 54 pcs of RAMA 150 Fresnel by Selecon, 40 pcs of asymmetrical AURORA floodlights, and a total of 6 followspots by Robert Juliat  – the models Aramis and Foxie.

Additionally, the TEATR company equipped the National Music Forum in a complete set of directors lighting, which will be used from time to time, depending on the production’s needs. The directors lighting set includes: 12 pcs of MAX heads with the FPR system (allowing for free head movement across the whole panorama) by DTS, Martin Professional moving heads: Mac Quantum Profile x 12, Mac Quantum Wash x 12, asymmetrical floodlights PL CYC 2 RGBW by Selecon x 24, Fresnel lens luminaires PL3 by SELECON x 20, Strobe Lights SL Nitro 510  by Showline x 6, Philips Vari*Lite moving heads: VL 3015 SPOT x 6, VLX x 12 and VL3515 SPOT x 12. The list of equipment used for temporary restorations is the result of collaboration between the P.S. TEATR and Wroclaw Philharmonic’s – the object’s user.

The lighting control of the National Music Forum’s halls is conducted by the American ETC’s lighting consoles, supported by a remote controlling system set – the NET3. The responsibility for controlling the Main Hall was taken up by the EOS Titanium console, while the other three halls are being controlled via the GIO 2K systems.

The National Forum of Music has been equipped in a total of 892 regulated circuits SENSOR by ETC with the filtering efficiency of 400µs and 132 non-regulated circuits, controlled via the ETC’s SENSOR modules. The facility has been also fitted with an advanced lighting control signal transmission system, which includes, inter alia: 135 pcs. of ArtNet/DMX decoders by Pathway. In addition, the DMX signal can be remotely transmitted via 6 SHOW NEO transmitters and receivers by City Theatrical.

The audience lighting system and the control of the working and non-regulated circuits has been based on the industrial PLC drivers, and coupled with the technology stage lighting, creating an unified tool of lighting operation.

Part of the lighting park has been installed on eight, electromechanically driven, light bridges. In the Main Hall, the lighting equipment has been installed also under the balconies surrounding the hall. P.S. TEATR fitted the National Music Forum with altogether: around 520 pcs of luminaires and floodlights and 116 pcs of moving heads type devices.

The National Forum of Music was conceived as a place for the majority of initiatives, ideas and artistic projects taking place in Wroclaw. The aim was to create ideal conditions for both, classical music and entertainment concerts. Thanks to an innovative acoustic system, all this was achieved. The National Music Forum in Wrocław is one of the most state-of-the-art cultural facility on the cultural map of Poland and Europe.