After six years of work by a cast of thousands, the Bolshoi Theatre is just days away from reopening night, with President Dmitry Medvedev concert on 28 October.
The black velvet velour fabric used for all acoustic panels, stage borders, legs, and backdrops was selected by the project's main contractor Rexroth in a blind test.
There were several requirements for the Bolshoi's new drapes, from fabric weight and colour, to density of weave and flame retardant certification level. In the end, the Molière cotton velvet developed by ShowTex stood out as the truest black that can be achieved in a staging environment. In fact, all three of the Ultrablack velvet velour fabrics from ShowTex absorb more than 99% of incoming light across the whole visible spectrum. With less that 1% light reflection, the heavy weight curtains for the Bolshoi Theatre are made from the blackest material in the world, says the company.
Aside from the colour and ecological certification, the sheer weight of the Bolshoi's new theatrical curtains is also breaking records. The 20m long curtains constructed from 600g/m ShowTex Molière velvet combined with the five layered acoustic panels are the heaviest drapes ever made in the theatre world.
Special care was taken in manufacturing, storing, packing, and shipping to keep the curtains from being altered or damaged along the way by their own weight. ShowTex met this one of a kind challenge by developing custom storage containers, a specialised packing technique, test installations at the International Art Centre, De Singel in Antwerp, and expert finishing all in time for the Bolshoi's planned grand reopening.
(Jim Evans)
