The Grand Theater – National Opera, located in the heart of Poland’s world famous
Theater Square, remains a beacon of the country’s thriving performing arts
community. Originally opened in 1833 but almost completely reconstructed after the
Second World War, the expansive venue remains one of the largest theatres in
Europe. To ensure that it keeps pace with the expectations of its highly discerning
audience, the theatre’s management recently engaged the services of The
M.Ostrowski Company – a prominent player in the Polish electroacoustics and AV
sector since 1990 – to undertake an audio upgrade.
The project revolved around the theatre’s primary performance space – the 1 800-plus
capacity Stanisław Moniuszko Auditorium, which is used for an acclaimed blend of
opera, ballet and theatre performances. The new system needed to be able to offer
subtle, highly directive reinforcement for orchestral music and announcements, and
after a competitive tender process, M.Ostrowski Company turned to Renkus-Heinz and
the Iconyx range of Digitally Steerable Column Arrays to provide an ideal solution.
Engineered for the most challenging acoustical environments, Iconyx combines
Renkus-Heinz’s beam steering expertise with unrivalled intelligibility and full-range
musicality, all within discreet enclosures that blend in with their environment. The
Grand Theatre – National Opera is now served by two IC32 speakers, with 32 x 4″
coaxial transducers (each with three HF tweeters), 16 amplifier and DSP channels,
and beam control effective down to 200Hz. The configuration also includes two IC16
speakers – with 16 x 4″ coaxial transducers (each with three HF tweeters), eight
amplifier and DSP channels, and beam control effective down to 200 Hz, plus DR-18-
2R subs to handle the low frequencies.
“This Iconyx system is a highly effective PA that also blends unobtrusively into the
venue’s historic and distinctive interiors,” comments M. Ostrowski technical director,
Łukasz Toboła. “The project was completed on schedule and has met with a strongly
positive reaction from both venue personnel and patrons.”
