Tallinn City Theatre Sets New Standard for Theatre Lighting

After a three-year renovation, Tallinn City Theatre has reopened with a fully modernized lighting system, setting a new benchmark for Estonian theatre. Its seven architecturally distinct stages now combine cutting-edge technology with energy-efficient, fully networked lighting, delivering flexible, reliable performance for every production.

Focus Point Systems, led by Kalle Karindi, designed and implemented a comprehensive lighting and effects package. The installation includes over 350 Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures, around 100 SolaFrame Studio fixtures, 100 fos/4 fixtures, multiple ColorSource fixtures, five Eos Apex 5 consoles, and Echo architectural control.

Renowned lighting designer and lecturer Margus Vaigur served as an independent expert on the project, advising the Estonian government on lighting investments. “I made it clear why a slightly more expensive, specialized solution is better than a cheaper, universal option,” he says. “The decision was straightforward: for theatre lighting, ETC has always been my first choice.”

“ETC provides a fully integrated system from a single source,” says Karindi. “Integration across fixtures, consoles, and networking ensures reliability and simplifies updates. Every light, every cue, works in harmony across all seven stages.”

Performance, quiet operation, and accurate color reproduction were top priorities. Emil Kallas, head of the theatre’s lighting department, explains: “The Source Four LED Series 3 brings stunningly natural skin tones and vibrant colors to every stage. SolaFrame Studio operates silently while offering full features, and ArcLamp and Irideon fixtures provide dimmable architectural lighting for public areas and the main auditorium.”

Karindi highlights the SolaFrame Studio as a standout fixture: “It is completely silent, essential for the City Theatre’s intimate spaces. Features like zoom, shutters, gobos, animation, iris, frost, prisms, and a high-CRI LED source producing over 10,000 lumens make it ideal for most stages.” He also praised the Source Four LED Series 3, calling it the global “standard” for theatre stages, as it “comes closest to natural light among all available fixtures.”

Each of the seven stages presented unique architectural and technical challenges. “Each venue has its own size, shape, and lighting needs,” says Kallas. “We needed fixtures and controls flexible enough to meet every production requirement while remaining simple to operate. This system allows us to do just that.”

The reopening production, Iphienie.Agamemnon.Elektra, showcased the system’s versatility, with complex scene changes, dynamic lighting transitions, and contrasting moods fully supported to immerse the audience.

Florian Maier, ETC Regional Manager, concludes: “This is the largest ETC installation in Eastern Europe to date. The collaboration between the theatre, Kalle, and ETC demonstrates how an integrated system of ETC fixtures, consoles, and software can achieve both technical excellence and artistic freedom.”

Photography:  Siim Vahur/City Theatre and Matejka/snapshot.