Ljubljana University’s Academy of Music faculty has consolidated itself in one ‘new’ central location in the city instead of occupying two different premises as the result of a complete renovation project at the Kazina Palace building.
Dating to 1837, historically it was a meeting place and social hub for Ljubljana’s high society, occupying a commanding position on the northeastern corner of Congress Square, right at the heart of the attractive Slovenian capital’s downtown.
The Academy’s main rehearsal and performance room – Betetova Hall – has been fitted with a new lighting rig including Robe T1 Profile and LEDBeam 350 moving lights, together with T11 Profiles and ParFect 150s.
All of these were delivered to the project by Ljubljana-based MK Light Sound.
The fixtures were chosen for their relative quietness as well as the quality of light, as it is an essential requirement for any classical music environment to minimise ambient noise.
The T1 and T11 Profiles were additionally picked for their white light properties, explained MK Light Sound’s Dean Karov, with the LEDBeam 350s for additional power and versatility for performance scenarios – the room allowing them to function very well as a beam or a wash light.
The room will occasionally be utilised for commercial events, fashion shows, etc. as well as a fantastic rehearsal space and a premium setting for concerts, recitals and public and private shows staged by the Academy itself.
Dean underlines that all these fixtures are compact and light, therefore practical to be rigged in the roof.
“The excellent CT whites, colour mixing and refined dimming made T1 an obvious pick,” he explained, “with T11 a great match as a static equivalent.” He thinks the LEDBeam 350 is the perfect light for the space when a bit of extra mood or “jazzing up” is needed.
In the daytime, when the windows are uncovered and the room is a rehearsal facility room, the stage lights and the natural light interact very nicely, a happy coincidence resulting from the design of the imposing Neoclassical venue, also known as The Kazina Building.
As a historical ‘listed’ site, all the installation works had to be rigorously inspected and passed by the office for Cultural Heritage Protection.
“It’s a fantastic installation in which to be involved and a great reference site of which we are very proud,” concluded Dean. MK Light Sound’s brief also included designing lighting networking and control for which they used ArtNet / Luminex with grandMA3 On PC XT.
They also installed some lighting in the bar area, including the ParFect 150s. This is often used for unplugged music shows and other presentations as well as a social space for concerts staged by the Academy.
The restoration project originally started in 2015 led by Styria architects from Maribor. The construction company was MAKRO 5 d.o.o. and the historic restoration work was undertaken by GNOM d.o.o..
Photos by Louise Stickland