The Kaunas State Musical Theatre, located in Kaunas, Lithuania, recently completed a reconstruction. Designer, Arvydas Buinauskas, of AB Light handled the concept and design for the lighting of the newly renovated building. Integrator and DTS Lighting distributor in the Baltic countries and Georgia Sonus exsertus, in cooperation with AB Light were responsible for the architectural lighting solutions for the building’s façade. Sonus exsertus deployed a range of the Italian-based DTS Lighting projects for this project. According to the Buinauskas the client’s goal was to give liveliness to the theatre, which is unique in its architecture, and make it more playful during the dark hours of the day.
The artistic lighting was designed with the aim of transforming the building to the theme of a certain event. One of the challenges for the designer was to first give the very idea of how lighting a building must be done, highlighting the unique elements of the façade in pastel colors, so that it would not be annoying and that it could blend into the urban landscape environment. With such a unique structure located in the city center, next to a park, it is preferable for it to not stand out extravagantly but rather to integrate it into the general atmosphere of the city.
Edmundas Žižys, head of Sonus exsertus, says that the technical challenge was not to breach the requirements of cultural heritage which the theatre belongs to. Special attention had to be paid when designing and laying the cables and choosing the suitable places for the lighting devices.
The result is that the lighting system can be controlled both by zones and individually with respect to certain groups of luminaires. In this case, it is possible to control the color on each individual side of the façade or to activate an interactive composition of running lights. The residents and guests of the city say that the building gained energy and visibility.
Venue: Kaunas State Musical Theatre
Date of completion: 2022
Concept and design: Arvydas Buinauskas, company AB Light
Integrator and DTS Lighting distributor in Baltic countries and Georgia: Sonus exsertus, www.sonus.lt
Photo credits: Simonas Lankutis & Linas Žemgulis
DTS Lighting devices used:
63 Freeline
85 Focus 1
12 Mini Brick Arc
6 Brick Arc
13 Drivenet 832
4 Drivenet 432
Further information from DTS: www.dts-lighting.it
