The technological advance in the performing arts recorded in recent years forced the Galia Theater to make an update of its lighting system. For this they chose Chauvet technology.
Chauvet
The Galia Theater, which is located in the Los Ríos Region, more precisely in the city of Lanco, was declared a Chilean Historical Monument in 2013. The Directorate of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works awarded the tender to Chemtrol Chile, who supplied luminaires from Chauvet Professional for the installation of a new lighting plant.
The theater was built entirely in wood native to Chile between 1943 and 1945 by Felipe Barthou Lapouple, with a notable Art Deco influence, adopting the "Balloon Frame" system. The design was in charge of Barthou himself, who together with Juan Polette Saint-Simon, gave life to a building that in a total area of 635 square meters and with capacity for 500 seats, functioned as a cinema and theater until its closure in 1980.
In 2013 and by virtue of Decree 45 of January 23 of the same year, the Galia theater was recognized as a National Historic Monument. Previously, in 2000, the building was acquired by the Municipality of Lanco, in order to preserve and restore the property to give a physical space to communal artistic expressions, theatrical and musical works.
The heritage rescue project was considered very complex to execute, due to the poor structural state of the historic building. At the beginning of March 2020, the Architecture Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works of Los Ríos delivered the work to the Regional Government.
In the historic act of transfer participated the regional mayor, César Asenjo; the Governor of Valdivia, Christian Cancino; the Director of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works, Adolfo Quiroz; the Mayor of Lanco, Rolando Peña; the Regional Councilor, Elías Sabat and the Secretaries of the Ministry of Government, Pedro Lamas; of Culture, Helmut Palma and of Social Development, Carlos Rolack.
The heritage restoration of the theater allowed to preserve the identity, adapting it for the development and presentation of different artistic expressions such as cinema, theater and music. After its recovery, the Galia Theater offers a capacity for 241 spectators, divided into two levels of stands.
The technological advance in the performing arts registered in recent years forced the Galia Theater to carry out an update of its lighting system, and the subsequent specialization by the staff that will be in charge of the assembly of all the scenographic components.
In addition to the modernization of the scenotechnics, the work also contemplated the integral elimination of pests and the general structural stabilization, including the replacement of the lower section of beams affected by different pathologies derived from the presence of permanent humidity. The recovery of his murals, located on the sides of the front of the stage, was also carried out; the set of seats with original metal supports of the building; and the simple ornamental wood veneers, along with the construction of a new volume to house exhibition spaces; that will return the use, dignity and beauty to the building.
Italo Bascuñan, head of the Commercial Department of Chemtrol Chile commented that "for the execution of the rehabilitation of the Galia Theater, in which Chemtrol had a very active participation in what is related to the installation of the scenotechnics systems, we use all the luminaires developed and manufactured by Chauvet Professional".
The Chilean people recovered an emblematic, historical place, although its rejuvenation shows a totally modern space. "The new theatre needed a full complement of new luminaires. There was no doubt: the new and most efficient systems with full-color LED light source had to be installed, but with the least possible economic investment. Chauvet ensured us to achieve the greatest versatility and the lowest electricity consumption," said Bascuñan.
There were many arguments that justified the installation of CHAUVET Professional products. Among them, the Chemtrol executive stressed that "due to the quality, price and performance ratio, Chauvet luminaires were the only possible option. In addition, the brand has one of the most complete lines of LED luminaires for theater on the market, comparable to other lighting manufacturers with more "name" in the theater sector. Chauvet guarantees me quality, service life, return on investment and great technical support."
Among the Chauvet Professional products installed at the Galia Theater were 12 units of Ovation F-915FC, an acclaimed high-power RGBAL LED fresnel lens projector; 10 Ovation E-910FC, an ELLIPSOIDAL LED with a zoom of 25 to 50°, 4 units of Ovation CYC 1 FC, an ideal projector for background lighting, cyclorama type and asymmetric reflector of Full Color LED light source and 8 units of COLORado 1-Quad Zoom, a PAR LED projector with color mixing system and with a powerful zoom.
"The Galia Theater has an endowment of 10 motorized rods manufactured by Chemtrol, where we were able to install the Chauvet Professional luminaires randomly. The motorization of the rods, added to the ease and speed of installation of Chauvet products, offer the possibility of a possible relocation according to the requirements of the different lighting designers who visit the theater," said Italo Bascuñan.
While it is true that due to the Covid-19 pandemic the theater is still in the inaugural stage, the authorities of the Galia Theater assured that the lights Ovation F-915FC, Ovation E-910FC, Ovation CYC 1 FC, as well as the COLORado 1-Quad Zoom of Chauvet Professional will be used intensively in the multifunctional room dedicated exclusively to theatrical works, music and any activity related to the performing arts.
It is important to note that the Galia Theater became the first professional theater in Chile to have a full complement of LED luminaires. "Chemtrol Chile is proud to have contributed to the enhancement of this beautiful theater with a modern technical equipment: motorized rods, digital sound, video projection with laser source projector and culminating the installation with a complete LED lighting plant in Chauvet," said Bascuñan very excited.
In addition to the demanding work done by Italo Bascuñan and the staff of Chemtrol Chile, Álvaro Cantos Sevilla, the renowned scenotechnics consultant played a fundamental role in the renovation of the Galia Theater. His vision and strategy made the city of Lanco have a theater of current technology and a solid infrastructure that guarantees Chileans a cultural space for many more years.
Chemtrol Chile and Chauvet Professional rejuvenated the Galia Theater, while giving the Lanquinos a work that is part of their identity. Chauvet managed to rescue history and, with its lights, will project the future of the new Chilean generations.
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