Latest news

2011.02.13
The Göteborg Opera - Pre-stage and middle stage winches

NovoScen will design a winch for the pre-stage area with a capacity of 350 kg at a maximum speed of 0.75 m/s. NovoScen will make the mechanical design of the winch including a flybar wagon. The control system will be developed by the engineering department at the Göteborg Opera. In addition to the pre-stage winch a modified version will be used also in the middle stage area.

2010.11.25
Lanzarote Congress Hall (Palacio de congresos), Spain

On the island Lanzarote a new 21,600 sqm Congress centre is being planned. NovoScen has been appointed as a Theatre Specialist sub-consultant. NovoScen will plan and make the system design for the stage technology as well as the AV-system and stage lighting for the complete center. The work will be carried out in collaboration with Akustikon and Candela Design.

2010.09.04
Regional Cultural Centre Stjördal, Norway

Stjördal is located not far from Trondheim with access to the Strind fjord and the Norwegian sea. On this beautiful spot in Norway a cultural centre is going to be built, which will offer a large variety of activities such as libraries, workshops, performance and conference halls, cinema and coffeeshops. The largest hall will be flexible and allow for audiences up to 1000 people.

As a sub-contractor to Ramboll Norway, NovoScen will make the system design for stage technology and, during the detailed design phase, NovoScen will act as an advisor for the chosen supplier of the stage machinery.

2010.04.16
Active vibration control at Ullevi football arena, Göteborg, Sweden

The new football arena here in Gothenburg has got problems with vibrations when the audience is jumping, due to a bad foundation. For practical reasons it's not possible to drive piles down to the rock below and other suggested solutions have been too costly. The city has decided to implement an active damping solution based on 16 masses that actively will counter-act the forces generated by the jumping crowd. Norconsult AB has the main contract for this project and NovoScen AB and Acticut International AB have been engaged as sub-contractors.

NovoScen has made the design of the mechanical system, including the design of a novel hybrid actuator, which is a key component in the technical solution. A small videoclip showing a simplified version of the system in operation can be viewed here. The hybrid actuator solution, a combination of a hydraulic counter-balance system and a servo-motor drive, reduces the power consumption by up to 75% compared with a standard hydraulic system.

2009.10.14
Motorized ladder, Skallsjö church, Lerum, Sweden

The Skallsjö congregation is renovating and rebuilding the church tower using large windows in an octagon pattern around the tower. The bell room level of the tower is separated from the main tower room level by means of a sound proof floor. To maintain a symmetric and open layout of the main room, the architect did not want a staircase or a fixed ladder between the two levels. Access to the bell tower level will be solved by means of a motorized ladder, which has been designed by NovoScen. A small clip showing the operation of the ladder in a simplfied version of the church tower can be viewed here.

NovoScen made the design and produced drawings and a technical specification for procurement of a manufacturer for the ladder.

2009.09.28
New multi-purpose hall next to the Göteborg Opera house

The Göteborg Opera house attracts many visitors and in order to increase the number of performances on stage, they have decided to investigate the possibility to build a multi-purpose facility in connection to the existing opera house. The new building will be used for rehearsals, but also for performances, conferences, and similar activities. The architect responsible for the new building is Lund & Valentin Arkitekter. More information about this new project (in Swedish) can be found here.

NovoScen has been contracted to make a preliminary analysis of the stage machinery for the new building.

2009.03.30
New Cultural Center Hamar, Norway

In Hamar, a cultural center is planned containing halls and rooms for a large variety of activities, eg. theatre, cinema, conferences, and dance. The center will also house a library and refreshment areas.

NovoScen has been contracted by Hamar kommune to plan and make the system design of the stage technology as well as the AV-system and stage lighting for the complete center. The work will be carried out in collaboration with Akustikon and Candela Design.

2009.01.22
Schiphol Sound Barrier, Holland

The Schiphol: Create a Barrier of Silence competition is now completed. NovoScen was responsible for the design of the lifting mechanism of the 20 m high retractable sound barrier for the Schiphol airport. An international team of engineers from different disciplines, headed by Various Architects in Norway, received Second Place in the Business category of the competition.

"Dynamic Sculpture" is a design that will showcase Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. The iconic retractable wall achieves the required 7 dB sound reduction by combining new materials, sustainable design, and a simple yet spectacular lifting solution.

A few pictures of the design can be found in our gallery and here is a movie showing the lifting mechanism. More information about the Schiphol Sound Barrier can be found on Various Architects home page.

2008.11.06
Over stage machinery for Hamnesunsentret, Norway

In Hamaröy, a cultural hall will be built and opened on the 150th anniversary of the birthday of the Norwegian literature Nobel prize winner Knut Hamsun, who grew up in Hamaröy. The building is designed by the well-known American architect Steven Holl.

NovoScen has been contracted by Ramböll Norge AS to plan and make the system design of the over stage machinery for the Hamnesunsenter cultural center in Hamaröy in Norway.

2008.04.01
Stage machinery for Bursa Merinos Cultural Center

In Bursa, an old textile factory is being remade into a cultural center. The building will include three halls, the largest with a seating capacity of 1800 seats. It will be used mainly for opera, but also for ballet and concerts. The two other halls with a seating capacity of 800 and 200 respectively will be used for conferences, theater and rehearsals.

Maths Nyström AB has contracted NovoScen AB as a collaborator in the planning of the stage machinery for the Bursa Merinos Cultural Center.

2007.11.01
New team member

We are pleased to welcome Åse Belsby as a new member of staff. Åse has a M.Sc. in civil engineering and has a long experience in project management of opera houses and theatres. Her duties consist of structural calculations and design for different kinds of projects in the industrial sectors, stage machinery, bridges and offshore platforms. She is familiar with use of advanced computer calculations (ANSYS) and analysis of steel and concrete structures. She has been using STAAD III since 1988.

2007.10.02
The Göteborg Opera - Control System Upgrade

The Göteborg Opera has contracted NovoScen to undertake a review of all relevant documentation of the over- and understage machinery and perform a risk analysis of all parts of the machinery affected by the planned new control system. Since a change of the control system can be considered a major modification of the machinery, regulations require that the complete system fulfil the present standards and regulations. The work will be carried out in collaboration with SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut.

2007.09.14
Royal Swedish Opera - "New stage machinery 801"

The Royal Swedish Opera house in Stockholm has awarded NovoScen AB a 5-year contract as the main consultant responsible for planning and design of a new understage machinery. In close collaboration with the Opera project organisation, NovoScen will produce complete systems and detailed design drawings for the mechanical parts of the machinery as well as a specification for the concomitant drive units and control systems. In addition to the understage machinery, parts of the upper stage machinery will be upgraded to comply with pertinent standards and regulations in Sweden and Europe.

2007.09.10
New address and telephone number

NovoScen AB
Skårs Led 3
S-412 63 GÖTEBORG
SWEDEN

Tel: +46-31-703 71 62

2007.08.05
Novoscen website ver. 0.9 beta

A preliminary version of the website was published today. A major facelift of the layout is planned, but no date has yet been set for the launch of the new layout.

2007.06.03
Under construction

This is the Novoscen web-site. The site is currently under construction. If you wish to contact us, send an e-mail to admin@novoscen.se.

NovoScen AB
Ögärdesvägen 33
S-436 40 ASKIM
SWEDEN

Tel: +46-708-20 42 32