Municipal Artistic School in Minsk Mazowiecki
Pracownia Akustyczna Kozłowski designed acoustics and stage technology, as well as visual design of acoustic adaptation in the new concert hall of the Konstanty Ryszard Domagala City Art School of the First Degree in Minsk Mazowiecki.
We were entrusted to redesign:
– acoustic adaptation,
– concert sound system,
– recording system,
– cinema sound system,
– coordination of the project especially in the area of stage technology.
Our main task in this facility was to reconcile several different functionalities for one hall:
– cinema hall,
– multi-purpose hall (theater performances or concerts with sound reinforcement by means of electro-acoustic equipment),
– room for acoustic concerts within the framework of the Municipal School of Arts of the 1st degree.
Previous project concerned meeting the requirements for philharmonic hall only, which excluded meeting the acoustic requirements for cinema and sounded concerts.
Pracownia Akustyczna Kozłowski (PAK): When we started design work, we found the existing concrete shell of the building, so the shape of the hall and its fit to the body of the building could not be changed.
We designed a solution placing great emphasis on the reflection structure typical of a philharmonic hall, with the acoustic absorption of the hall at a higher level than a classical concert hall. The extension of the hall’s impulse response, on the other hand, is achieved by means of an acoustic support system. This allows for free tuning of acoustic parameters while maintaining the highest quality required for philharmonic halls. This approach to room acoustics and its tuning has resulted in perfect sound. Without any compromises during philharmonic concerts with acoustic instruments. But also we have achieved during cinema projections the sound meeting the requirements of film organisations as well as clear sounding during entertainment concerts.
The electroacoustic system uses transmission of audio signals in Dante format between microphone preamplifiers, digital console (located on the special mixing desk in the auditorium), power amplifiers in the amplification room. The sound system consists of left-right clusters based on six modules of a compact line-array system each. In these clusters there are also suspended sets responsible for side-fill type sound reinforcement, which allows for quick implementation of stage sound reinforcement without the need to set up speaker equipment. In the central cluster, three subwoofers are suspended, tuned for cardioid operation, thanks to which balanced bass is achieved in the audience, while limiting energy in the low frequency range on stage. The auditorium is equipped with a set of loudspeakers, tripods, microphones, mobile cabling, signal connections for microphones, auditions and video cameras. In the acoustic cabin there are located devices enabling making and editing multi-track recordings. The system uses digital wireless microphones.
A separate block is the cinema sound system. The speakers behind the screen can be lifted up with special stilts, when the screen is rolled down. It is also possible to completely remove the rear sound system from the room. On the side and rear walls of the auditorium there are speaker sets mounted, which work as surround channels during cinema projections or as additional channels in the acoustic support system. This approach allowed for optimal use of all installed components.
Photo: Bartosz Hołoszkiewicz