Stora Teatern

Stora Teatern (the Grand Theater) is Gothenburg’s stage for Swedish and international star performers.. Here, the audience experiences everything from new circuses to world music concerts and philosophical debates. The artistic activity is run by the City of Gothenburg’s Culture Department and the historic building, which has been in use since 1859, is owned by Higab.

Challenge

“The house we work in is from 1859. The existing motor-driven fly system, i.e. the bars on which the scenery hangs and can be lifted up and down, was not quite as old but at least of an older model. It was a system where both the engine and the brake were driven by hydraulics. A poor system that was in great need of replacing certain components, such as changing the hydraulic motor to an electric motor, to optimize the functionality,” says Stora Teatern’s Technical Manager Martin Stigebrant.

There were many challenges with the work, which has been going on since 2014. The existing fly system consisted of outdated components and finding replacement parts proved difficult when they were no longer available on the market. The updating of components in the equipment also required adaptation to current regulations, which the machine was not originally built to support.

The work at Stora Teatern also involved logistical challenges. Working in a building with conservation protection is not so simple. Without available solutions for moving the equipment, the work environment also became a challenge.

Solution

During the long project, a number of challenges have been encountered – both based on the initial situation with non-existent corresponding products and other logistical challenges.

“TechTribe brought an enormous level of knowledge into the project and has certainly been creative and flexible. We gave them our manual and explained that this was the basis for the technical requirements. Because the fly system consisted of an existing system with hard-to-replace units, they had to examine various components and assemble new components to replace them,” says Martin.

In addition to making special solutions for assembling the existing winch and hydraulic brake with a new engine and gearbox as well as an extra brake, the work at Stora Teatern also meant developing a new control system. An outdated electronic system was replaced with a computerized control system and a main computer that enables programming possibilities.

Results

“TechTribe has an excellent product focus, combined with very deep expertise. They have been responsible with the machine and the project in a safe and high-quality way. They have had a genuine interest in making it a product that works – despite all the obstacles they encountered during the work. It has been safe and secure working with TechTribe who deliver a solution they can stand for and do not leave until the solution is complete. The clear pride they take in their work is the basis for the extremely professional, solution-focused and efficient project they have carried out with us,” says Martin.