Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China | June, 2014 -

Covering nearly 11 km (7 mi) along the Southeast bank of the Yangtze River, the Wuhu Shimao Riviera Garden has added a new landmark to the city's skyline. The project combines luxury residential buildings, an international five-star hotel complex, and a host of other amenities including the new Riverside Cultural Square Cultural Arts Center.

The Cultural Arts Center's crown jewel is the Riviera Garden Theatre, a 1200-seat auditorium that includes a main floor and balcony, as well as 64 luxury seats in the balcony VIP area and a convertible orchestra pit. Created by the Zhejiang Institute of Architectural Design, the multi-purpose venue boasts a wide and varied range of performances and programs, from opera and theater to spoken word and cinema.

With a high-profile and a diverse agenda, the sound system design for the venue needed to encompass both exquisite performance and versatility. Consulting firm Institute of Acoustics of Tongii University worked with the Shanghai branch of contractors Beijing Sebang Huayi Stage Technology Co., Ltd, to create a system based around Renkus-Heinz PNX and STX Series loudspeakers.

The main system is comprised of left, right, and center clusters of three PNX151T loudspeakers covering medium and long throw, with STX7 cabinets handling left and right house coverage. Low frequency reinforcement is provided by a pair of DRS18-2B direct radiating subwoofers. Onstage monitoring is courtesy of four TRX121T two-way complex conic systems. A Yamaha M7CL 48-channel digital console is installed at Front of House. The system is powered by QSC amplification, with a pair of Biamp processors handling system processing.

CAH/Tico of Hong Kong and Beijing provided the equipment for the project. As CAH's JY Hui explains, the project presented a few challenges. "The theater's design did not create the most perfect acoustical environment," says Hui. "Fortunately, we were able to work with the