The Vehbi Koç Foundation commissioned Grimshaw Architects to design a new home for Arter, their arts and culture subsidiary, in Istanbul, Turkey. The result is the Arter Contemporary Art Museum, which features 5,000 square metres of public exhibition space, including outdoor sculpture spaces, a Black Box Theatre, a Multifunction Theatre, storage, archiving, art restoration facilities, and corporate offices.

Glantre, under the guidance of Neill Woodger Acoustics, was contracted to provide a full audio-visual package for the project, including full fit-out for the theatres, a music rehearsal facility, a presentation system for a small bookstore, specialist power facilities for outdoor spaces and audio-visual systems for meetings and presentations in the executive office suite.

The Black Box Theatre seats up to 332 in a variety of layouts. For the stage engineering package, Glantre provided an overhead runway beam system to allow positioning of eight one-tonne chain hoists. We also provided aluminium trussing, curtain tracks, drapes, and acoustic shell towers.

The Production lighting system comprises 144 channels Strand EC21 dimmers and a Strand Neo console. A Strand Vision.net control system controls the House and Work lighting ArcSystem and BlueSystem from GDS.

The sound system for the Black Box is comprised of a d&b system (loudspeakers and power amplifiers) with a Yamaha CL3 desk and Rio connectivity, BSS Soundweb processing, and Dante digital audio.

Glantre also provided variable architectural acoustic enhancement from E-Coustic Systems with Schoeps microphones on Servoreelers.

Glantre also implemented video, video/audio show relay, paging, technical intercom, Sennheiser IR assistive listening, and a custom stage manager’s desk.

The Multifunction Theatre seats 154 in a bleacher seating arrangement. However, the bleacher seating can be pushed back and the space can be used as a reception or meeting room. However, its primary purpose is for lectures, presentations, and digital cinema with Dolby 7.1 surround sound. Glantre installed a cinema screen and loudspeaker system behind the decorative woodwork and motorised the wooden screen cover along with the screen masking. We also provided motorised movable acoustic banners in the ceiling void to vary the acoustics of the room to suit the requirements of the varying performances staged in the space.

Production lighting is also by Strand and speech reinforcement is by d&b. Glantre also implemented video, video/audio show relay, paging, technical intercom, and Sennheiser IR assistive listening.

Image Credits: Grimshaw Architects, Wikimedia/Flufoto, Glantre Engineering