In a competitive tender, Black Cat Music's Berlin based team won the contract in the face of tough international competition. Originally built for the Moscow Olympic Games of 1980, the Nazarov Musical Theatre has recently undergone a major refurbishment. The revival in fortunes for the theatre, located within the Olympic Games legacy site, began when it became part of the Moscow State Philharmony in 2014. A requirement of the building overhaul was an upgrade for the auditorium acoustics, with an acoustic shell being specified by Moscow State Philharmony.
With the contract awarded, the Berlin based project team of Paula Ulrich and Tim Ehrlich worked to increasingly tight time scales while also accommodating client changes to the final dimensions of the Diva shell. Thanks to support from Wenger Corporation in facing these challenges the Diva Acoustical Shells were delivered to site right on time and ready for the installation to go ahead on schedule. Wenger flew in Jim Smith and Larry Werner from America to ensure the installation went smoothly.
Diva is a system of tower and ceiling panels designed to enhance the aesthetics and acoustics of a theatre dramatically. Rigid honeycomb composite construction provides a strong acoustically reflective surface that projects a maximum range of audible frequencies. Each tower consists of three sections - a centre panel and two adjustable wing panels. Diva ceiling panels are suspended from the facility's rigging system and balanced for ease of adjustment. The musicians rehearsing ahead of the official opening night declared, "The acoustics are fantastic!"
(Jim Evans)
