Projects and document preparation for cultural venues

The success of a new or modernised cultural venue is decided long before construction begins – in the design phase. It is the design that determines whether the technologies work as one system, whether the project fits the budget and whether the result stands up to everyday operation.

Stage technology, stage lighting, sound and acoustics are specialised fields that ordinary building design does not cover. They require knowledge of theatre operation and of the links to other trades – electrical installations, ventilation, structural engineering or fire safety.

We build on decades of experience supplying, installing and servicing the equipment of theatres, cultural centres and halls. We know the pitfalls of both construction and operation, so we can prepare a design that prevents clashes, changes and unnecessary extra costs.

The study is the first step of design preparation. It turns the investor's ideas and requirements into a concrete design proposal that can be discussed further – with the architect, the operator and the authorities.

In this phase we examine the spatial possibilities of the building, propose the basic concept and placement of the individual technologies and assess how they interact. Depending on the nature of the project, we focus on stage technology, stage lighting, sound, acoustics, stage textiles and other equipment of cultural and public venues.

The study makes it possible to compare design options, set the basic technical parameters and estimate the scale of the future investment. It also helps reveal spatial, technical or operational constraints early, before they can affect the further preparation of the project.

The outcome is a clear concept of the future solution, serving as the basis for the investor's decision and for the subsequent stages of design documentation.

Permit documentation usually follows the completed study and turns the proposed solution into the form required for the approval of the project in the combined zoning and building procedure.

At this stage the project takes on a concrete technical form. The documentation defines the basic layout, structural and technological arrangement, the location of individual installations, their spatial requirements and their links to the other parts of the building.

For theatres, cultural centres and public halls we focus on stage technology, stage lighting, sound and acoustics – and their coordination with the building itself and the related trades, such as electrical installations, ventilation, structural engineering or fire safety.

The goal is to define unambiguously what will be built, where the technology will be located, what its basic technical parameters will be and what demands it will place on the building and the other trades. Well-prepared documentation creates a solid basis for the next design stage and prevents later clashes, changes and needless extra costs.

The detailed design for construction turns the approved proposal into a detailed technical solution from which the building and the individual technologies can actually be built.

It contains detailed drawings, dimensions, technical specifications, materials, structural solutions, cable and duct routes, connection points, anchoring and all other information needed for the manufacture, supply and installation of the individual systems.

At this stage we coordinate all related trades in detail, so that the stage machinery structures, stage lighting, sound systems, electrical installations, acoustic elements and building structures do not clash and form one functioning whole.

The finished documentation is an unambiguous basis for the contractor – for manufacture, installation, the coordination of individual suppliers and quality control of the completed work. A thorough detailed design greatly reduces improvisation on site, lowers the risk of errors and extra costs, and gives the investor certainty that the result will match the originally designed solution.