National Grand Theatre in Beijing with Lawo Nova73 HD.
First fully integrated audio network in China.
Opened in Autumn 2007, the National Grand Theatre of China in Beijing (also known as the National Centre for the Performing Arts) is setting new standards in terms of both technology and architecture. The nerve centre of the new complex, which is one of the most imposing cultural edifices in the world, is the nodal room, from which the first fully integrated audio network for live and broadcast applications in all China is controlled – a network constructed around a router and I/O systems from Lawo.
A cultural temple of gargantuan proportions, the NCPA extends over 200,000 square metres and comprehends a concert hall, an opera house and two theatres with a combined capacity of 6,500 seats. After just under four years of installation work, the new network management centre in the nodal room now coordinates and manages all the audio tasks running at any given moment anywhere in the complex – including the connected sound studio and the foyer.
To satisfy the complex requirements of the NCPA, the client opted for a network solution from Lawo. The centrepiece of the installation comprises a Lawo Nova73 HD router and seven DALLIS interface systems. The project was realized by Lawo China in close cooperation with the client and Lawo’s Chinese partner Rightway Audio.
The Lawo comprehensive solution guarantees maximum reliability and load capacity – criteria that, along with high sound quality and a large routing capability, were crucial system requirements stipulated by the client.
The Nova73 HD router offers up to 8,192 mono channels, Dolby E compatibility and clock-synchronized switching to video frames as well as internal DSP. Via its 22 MADI interfaces, the system offers 1408 inputs and outputs. So as to be able to handle with maximum flexibility the various different productions running simultaneously, the 96kHz-capable router offers inter alia hot-plug capability and online configuration: System extensions and alterations are therefore even possible in the course of a live broadcast. And with absolute safety. Since the Lawo STAR² technology of the Nova73 HD stands for high system stability. Redundancy of both the master card and the power supplies is supported, with the result that complete redundancy of all vital components can be achieved.
The DALLIS interface system from Lawo integrated into the overall system has proved an ideal response to the high demands of the NCPA. For the local connection of microphones, monitors, playback devices etc., there are seven DALLIS frames with a total of 392 remote controllable inputs and outputs. The flexible I/O system comprehends a wide variety of plug-in cards; the hot-plug capability and point-to-point connection of all I/O cards to the central master card makes a decisive contribution to the overall stability of the system.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts represents one of the most ambitious architectural projects in that country’s recent history. After numerous invitations to tender and planning sketches, the decision makers opted for the futuristic elliptical design proposed by the French architect Paul Andreu. The magnificent glass and titanium structure – like the equipment inside it – is the last word in modernity.
Conceived as an island of culture appearing to float on the surface of an artificial lake, the National Centre For The Performing Arts is 212 metres long, 144 metres wide and 46 metres high. Presenting no hard edges, the glass and titanium shell accommodates not only the 2,400-seater opera house and 2000-seater concert hall but also two theatres, the larger of which has 1040 seats.
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