Riga Wood birch plywood 3D acoustic shields ensure excellent acoustics at Mežaparks Great Band Stage

The Mežaparks Great Bandstand is among the biggest bandstands in the world. On stage, it can accommodate approximately 13,000 choristers, while in the auditorium, there are more than 30,000 seats. The specially designed stage comprises 510 three-dimensional acoustic panels of different sizes. Each panel was installed at a different angle, assuring excellent sound quality during both bigger and smaller events. The spherically-curved shields are made of Riga Preprime and Riga Ply birch plywood, and both products show excellent technical and visual performance under different weather conditions. Each three-dimensional panel’s thickness is 36 mm – made of four 9 mm panels that are glued together. The panels are in 16 sizes, the largest with a 4 metre diagonal measurement. For long-lasting performance and to protect from sun, wind and rain, the panels are painted with special paint and partly covered with a roof.

The project authors are architects Juris Poga and Austris Mailītis. The panels were manufactured by the timber structure design and manufacturing company ZAZA Timber.

This year, the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival will gather thousands of singers and dancers to celebrate dance, song and culture. Part of the festival will be held at Mežaparks Great Band Stand. Latvijas Finieris and Riga Wood are amongst the biggest supporters of the event and Riga Wood birch plywood products will be widely used in nine projects all over the city – starting from information signs and decorations to anti-slip stage floors and acoustic constructions.

Since 1873, the nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival has been a part of the Latvian national identity that connects generations through the years. It has also been acknowledged worldwide and is included on the UNESCO List of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.