Wenger Corporation Technology Enhances
University of St. Thomas’ New STEAM Facility
Transform® Acoustical Banners Help Fine-Tune Schoenecker Center’s Music
Spaces.
Owatonna, MN (June 6, 2024) – Wenger Corporation, a leading provider of
innovative products and solutions for music education and the performing
arts, installed Transform® Motorized Acoustical Banners in the University of
St. Thomas’ new Center for STEAM Education in St. Paul, Minnesota. These
banners are integral to the acoustical design of the Sarah Rose Hall
Instrumental Rehearsal space and Choral Performance Hall, allowing the
acoustics to be tailored to various educational and performance activities.
“Wenger is proud to be a part of this leading-edge facility at the
University of St. Thomas,” said Dave Thomas, President and CEO of Wenger
Corporation. “We welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate Wenger’s leadership in acoustical solutions for these spaces.”
The Schoenecker Center opened in early 2024 as the campus hub for STEAM
(science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) disciplines. Spanning
130,000 square feet across five levels, the facility also includes
state-of-the-art science labs, art gallery, café, and communal spaces. The
project’s acoustical consultant was Jaffe Holden; the two companies have
collaborated for decades on a variety of projects.
“The Transform banners help provide flexible acoustics in both music spaces
so we can better accommodate groups of various sizes,” explained Doug
Orzolek, Professor of Music and Director of Graduate Programs in Music
Education at St. Thomas. “In rehearsals, deploying the banners helps me and
my students hear more distinctly, which is crucial as we’re focusing on
notes, rhythms and articulation accuracy.”
Transform banners offer adjustable spacing options – both in distance from
walls and between fabric layers. Banners deploy quietly and quickly, up to
45′ per minute, with tubular motors designed for either operator-controlled
or pre-set environments. Fabric options include velour or wool serge;
banners come in a range of heights and widths.
One of the interdisciplinary courses held in the Schoenecker Center is
Musical Acoustics, co-taught by Orzolek and Jeff Jalkio, a Professor of
Physics. Supplemental educational resources used by students include several
Wenger Planning Guides, including the Acoustics Primer and Performance
Spaces Planning Guide. “The Guides provide a solid foundational
understanding of room acoustics, helping students apply theoretical concepts
in practical scenarios,” Orzolek noted.
Warren Djerf, PR Consultant for Wenger
About Wenger Corporation
Wenger Corporation enriches lives by enabling and inspiring great
performances through engineering innovative products and solutions for music
and theatre education, performing arts venues and athletic programs. Our
portfolio of high-quality Wenger, J.R. Clancy and GearBoss products and
solutions caters to music and theatre education, performing arts venues and
athletics programs. Products include theatrical rigging systems, acoustical
shells and treatment, acoustical doors, and sound-isolating practice rooms,
fixed and portable audience seating, and portable and mobile staging
systems. Our furniture line includes music posture chairs, music stands,
conductor’s equipment, and high-density and portable storage solutions for
instruments, garments, sheet music and media equipment. We also offer a
complete line of athletic lockers, equipment storage and transport products.
For more information visit: https://www.wengercorp.com/