Martin MAC TW1™ Luminaires for Saxon State Opera House in Dresden

A four hoist Martin lighting rig totaling 40 MAC TW1 tungsten wash luminaires (80 V) and 16 MAC 2000 Performances grace the Saxon State Opera House in Dresden, Germany, better known as Semperoper. Semperoper ranks among the city’s most important historical buildings and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world.

Built in 1878 by the famous German architect Gottfried Semper, the building excels in its magnificent architecture. Destroyed in 1945, Semperoper was rebuilt in its original form complete with four balconies and a lavish interior abundantly adorned with paintings and stuccowork. Reopened in 1985, the Opera seats nearly 1300.

New possibilities
Theater-Architekturlicht (TAL) Chemnitz GmbH supplied the Martin lighting systems with installation by Semperoper technicians in cooperation with TAL. Jan Seeger, lighting crew chief at Semperoper, and Mathias Meyer, manager of TAL Chemnitz GmbH, first saw the TW1 at the Pro Light and Sound exhibition in Frankfurt and agreed on the luminaire’s potential to open up new artistic possibilities.

Jan explains that at a demo in late summer of 2006 the TW1 impressed with its exceptional brightness and superior beam characteristics. “In combination with the halogen lamp, the TW1’s high-grade color mixing system is capable of displaying and reproducing excellently the pastel colors used especially in theatre,” he states. “The fixture’s ability to stabilize the color temperature by means of the mechanical dimmer is a great benefit as well.”

TW1 savings
Jan cites additional advantages including productivity and cost savings. “Lighting rehearsals can be performed more efficiently since the re-coloring of individual luminaires can be omitted. Energy requirements – something to be kept in mind with investments of this dimension – is low as well. While the power requirement of the former overhead lighting amounted to 80 kW, the 40 MAC TW1s make do with a mere 49 kW.”

The TW1’s smooth dispersion of light impressed as well. “The light is of great silkiness and has a particular brilliance. And the artistic advantages of the low voltage technique can be utilized very well with the 80 V lamp. The mechanical shutter allows for real blackouts – in this way the TW1 combines the advantages of line voltage halogen lamps and the low voltage technique,” Jan commented.

The MAC TW1 is a 1200W tungsten wash fixture that brings to the stage all the optical brilliance and feature quality of the MAC range with the warmth of tungsten halogen. Available in a new breed of 80 V lamp that offers a superior output to traditional mains voltage lamps, it is being utilized in theatre environments like the UK’s National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Barbican Centre, as well as television studios, events and tours.