Part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas, the Winspear Opera House, which opened last week, was designed by Foster + Partners under Pritzker Prize winning architect Norman Foster. Engineered specifically for performances of opera and musical theatre, its stages are also equipped for performances of ballet and other forms of dance.
A 21st century reinterpretation of the traditional “horseshoe” opera house, the principal performance space, the 2,200 seat Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, is fitted with variable acoustics in the form of retractable drapes. Behind the design is Triple E’s Chaintrack, which enables the drapes to be stacked in pockets hidden within the walls when not in use.
The fact that Chaintrack can navigate corners of just 40mm radius enables it to double back on itself, and this, coupled with the facility to store curtains flat rather than bunched, provided the ideal solution. Through its US distributor Rose Brand, Triple E has supplied and installed fourteen Chaintrack systems on three levels within the auditorium – Tier 1, Tier 2 and orchestra level, with drapes varying in drop from three to six metres.
David Edelstein, managing director of Triple E, explains: “The deployed length of the curtain is duplicated in the storage pockets, where the track is formed into a series of short parallel tracks, ensuring the acoustic properties are isolated when not in use and maintaining the sleek lines of the hall.”
The Winspear Opera House will be home to The Dallas Opera, Texas Ballet Theater, touring Broadway productions and numerous other performances. In a radically reconsidered approach to the traditional opera experience, the new opera house will continue to show internationally renowned performances of excellence and innovation.
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