ProjectØstre Gasværk TheaterLocationCopenhagen, DenmarkArchitectØstre Gasværk TheaterLighting DesignerJeppe LawetzInstallerStouenborg ApSAcousticianEBB ConsultingSubmitted byStouenborg ApS
Østre Gasværk Theater is a venue that takes place in an old gas tank, where the architecture is an important part of its unique appearance. The theatre’s circular space is built of bricks and a curved wooden ceiling which can make it a tricky place to produce theatre in. Therefore, Søren Møller, artistic director and creative producer at Østre Gasværk Theater, came up with the idea TheatreMax.
He brought Stouenborg into the process as an adviser and integrator of the new projector system. Møller’s and Stouenborg’s wishes were not to hide the facade of the theatre behind some large canvases, but instead, he wanted to make it part of the experience.
To reach this goal, we had to face some challenges along the process of reaching it. For example, the theatre building’s unconventional architecture was a challenge when it came to the placement of the projector system. It has no stage tower, stage sides, or backstage where you can hide the scene technique, and therefore we had to make special solutions to this challenge.
As a result, Stouenborg’s technical team produced noise boxes for all of the 25 projectors, which made it possible to get under 25 dB(A) in total when all the projectors are on at the same time. Furthermore, we had to produce special angle brackets for all of them, so they could be placed under the ceiling in a truss with a 45-degree angle.
To figure out where to place the 25 projectors in the theatre, we used an IFC-model in BIM. This ended up being a very important tool, because of another challenge we faced – The short amount of time we had to integrate the entire system in.
We used the IFC-model in BIM to find out where the projectors should be hung in a 3D drawing using VR glasses to predict the future possibilities. This helped us calculate the locations of the complete installation, finding problems and solutions to them before integrating it onsite, thus enabling our installers to integrate the system in just five days.
Stouenborg installed 25 Panasonic PT-RZ120 projectors to deliver a projection system capable of 11K content. Content is served from two disguised d3 4 by 4 pro media servers with four 4K outputs, each of which is split using Vivolink HDMI splitters and sent over fibre to four projectors.
Opting for Lightware for signal extension, Stouenborg installed HDMI20-OPTJ-TX90 transmitters and HDMI20-OPTJ-RX90 receivers. The integrator also selected Netgear-managed switches to manage the network traffic for the projection system.
Stouenborg has been involved in the project from the idea of TheatreMax to the complete integration of the entire projector system. We had to install the entire system offsite in the pre-production period, which made it possible for our installers to integrate the system in only five days onsite at the Theatre.
The theatre is built in an old gas tank, and this unconventional form meant that we had to be creative with the solution for this project, as the projector system should not disturb the audience. The goal was from the beginning to transform the appearance of the building without hiding it behind a canvas, but instead, make the architecture a part of the complete experience.
The solution was to install 25 projectors in the truss, which together can deliver content in 11K resolution and cover the entire ceiling and walls of the theatre with scenographic animations.
The result is a powerful projection system delivering stunning visuals and immersive graphics that engage the walls and ceiling in captivating animations, with immense potential for the future with a total noise level for all 25 projectors below the 25 dB(A).
