Gärtnerplatztheater

First opened in 1865 and remodelled extensively in 1945–1948 and 2012–2017, the Gärtnerplatztheater (in full the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, or State Theatre on the Gärtnerplatz) is considered a masterpiece of neoclassical architecture. Today, it is one of the most active theatres in Germany – and also a particularly challenging space for integrators, who are limited by the dimensions of the historic theatre and the need for absolute quiet during live performances.

The Gärtnerplatztheater was formerly equipped with a previous-generation Digital Projection (non-Satellite MLS) quad-lamp TITAN projector, which needed to be replaced after the venue’s lighting department opted to switch to LED lighting. Specified by the Gärtnerplatztheater’s head of video, WE ARE VIDEO’s Raphael Kurig, the new projector system is supplied in TITAN Satellite MLS form, with three light-source modules per projector providing 30,000 ISO lumens of illumination at WUXGA resolution. With two TITAN Satellite MLS projectors installed front and back in the theatre, the result is, Kurig says, “super bright” – but at the Gärtnerplatztheater, an even more important factor is Satellite MLS’s modular form factor, which makes it the only solution that ticks all the boxes in the uniquely proportioned 19th-century space.

Epitomising Digital Projection’s “smaller is better” design philosophy, Satellite MLS combines a compact, lightweight, quiet projector ‘head’ with a separate, remotely installed light source – making it possible to meet the growing demand for brighter, yet smaller and quieter, projectors. Satellite MLS is perfectly suited to environments with space constraints, allowing for ultra-bright RGB laser projection in historic buildings such as the Gärtnerplatztheater, where it would have been impossible to hang bigger, heavier projectors.

At the Gärtnerplatztheater, where the emphasis is on saving space, the light source is also located in the audience area, just 5m from the projector head – though in environments where silence is a must (for example, museum exhibitions) the projector components may be separated by up to 100m using a satellite link cable.

Utilising the unique, ‘building-block’ design of Digital Projection’s Satellite Modular Laser System, the Gärtnerplatztheater video team are finally able to deliver seamless, high-resolution, stunningly bright (30,000-lumen) visuals worthy of one of the country’s most famous opera houses.

“Working in a heritage building like the Gärtnerplatztheater, space is always at a premium,” emphasises Raphael Kurig, “but the demand for higher brightness often leads to bigger, heavier projectors unsuitable for venues such as ours. While we did try out projectors by other brands, they were consistently too big, bulky and noisy for the dimensions of the theatre. It was clear that when it came time for a projection upgrade, Satellite MLS, with its unique modular design, was the only solution on the market that fit our needs.”

Theatres are some of the most demanding applications for projection, where near-silent operation, and a requirement for ultra-bright projectors that take up the smallest amount of space, are prerequisites. At the Gärtnerplatztheater, the Satellite MLS system ticks all these boxes and more, bringing beautifully saturated images from the RGB laser light source and the pinnacle of projection that only DLP technology can achieve.