Van Damme has been specified for the new Ljubljana Conservatoire of Music and Ballet, in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was designed by Ofis Architects; Neven Smolcic was in charge of Acoustic Design. In total more than 14 kilometres of Van Damme was installed.
The concert hall is housed in a space that opens into a previously unused attic. A wooden sub-structure was built, to which acoustic panels were mounted at different angles and with a variety of perforations. Seven different mineral and stone wools and over 300 wooden panels were used to create the acoustics, which were subject to the most demanding criteria.
The 168-seat auditorium is designed acoustically so that it can be used without the sound system, with high intelligibility and evenly distributed sound throughout the auditorium. In terms of space design and acoustics, the hall is pleasing to the eye, bright, with windows overlooking the Old Town and Ljubljana Castle.
The Music Hall has a projection screen (6 meters in length), surround recording microphone system, PA surround sound system and 4 professional 3G HD-SDI broadcast video cameras for recording and streaming. Lighting was also critical. LED lamps were used throughout to eliminate interference and each lamp’s colour and intensity can be individually controlled, ensuring that musicians’ sheet music can be clearly read.
The high quality Van Damme cables used were Brown Series Starquad OB Transmission Grade 8 and 16 way multicores, TourCat 6A S/FTP, HD Vision RG11, HD Vision RG59, Smart Control DMX 2 pair, Purple Series (1, 4 and 8 pair), Blue Series Studio Grade speaker cable, Tour Grade XKE Starquad and Tour Grade Classic XKE microphone cables.
Smolcic said of the project: “The Conservatoire presented a challenge and I was able to overcome this for a very good result. We achieved an NC (Noise Criteria) level of less than NC20. The building is a lovely part of the Ljubljana skyline now and will provide a fully equipped and immersive space for musicians for years to come. It has been a very prestigious project to work on and we are very proud of the result we achieved with Van Damme.”
The Music Hall of the Conservatory of Music and Ballet is the most advanced in the region in terms of technology and acoustics. It provides the audience with a high-quality music experience, while also inspiring students and teachers alike.
