Teatro alla Scala, Milan

The Teatro alla Scala of Milan (also known simply as La Scala) is one of the most famous theatres in the world. For over two hundred years it has staged shows featuring world renowned artists. It has commissioned many operas that have been and are still performed in the finest opera houses around the world. It is located on the Piazza della Scala in Milan alongside the Casino Ricordi, now home to the La Scala Theatre Museum.
From 2002 to 2005 the theatre underwent major restoration work, involving its walls as well as its technological systems.

Cefla Engineering restored all the building systems: control stations as well as mechanical, electrical and special systems. Each individual operating area (auditorium, boxes, galleries, foyers, fly tower, rehearsal rooms, offices and general services) now has control panels, air conditioning control terminals and special equipment. System stations are set in underground rooms below the stage, including cooling and heat exchange systems, treated air distribution system, fire-fighting system, electric power substation, power supply and distribution panel, lighting and special systems.

The key characteristics of the entire project were: installing fire-fighting and accident prevention systems of the highest level of safety; installing while fully respecting architectural restoration principles; and using suitable technologies for high energy savings, including the use of groundwater for the coolers condensation circuits.
The project centrepiece is the complex of technological, mechanical, electrical and special systems. The building system renovation project led to further work involving masonry and stage machinery restoration. The building is connected to a district heating network controlled by a single central heating station which serves also Palazzo Marino, the Civica Ragioneria and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

Work was performed following the City Administration guidelines and complying with technical specifications required by the involved institutions.

• Applying the highest fire-protection and accident-prevention safety standards;
• Respecting architectural restoration principles especially when working on the monumental part (auditorium, stage, foyer and galleries);
• Optimising comfort by controlling air temperature and humidity and assuring visual and acoustic quality in all rooms and for all their various assigned uses;
• Implementing the best suited system technologies to obtain maximum environment-friendly energy savings.

After analysing and defining the various operational, architectural and structural needs, a decision was made to divide the work according to distinct operational areas:

• Auditorium (monumental area);
• Four tiers of boxes (monumental area);
• First and second galleries (monumental area);
• First, second and third foyers (monumental area);
• Fly tower (stage area);
• Rehearsal rooms (stage area);
• Offices (stage area);
• General services (stage area).