‘Never ordinary,’ observes experienced club owner Toni Martinez, ‘Right from the start, when Branko Perković approached me, I could see this would be a unique venue.’
The club in question is Green Gold, in the centre od Zagreb. Branko Perković is the property developer who owns the purpose-built leisure centre in whose atrium space Green Gold can be found. ‘There is no popular band in Croatia who hasn’t played here since we opened – and they all had positive comments regarding the sound system,’ Martinez reports.
Perković’s concept was for the four cafe-bars that surround the atrium to double as clubs in the evening, and for them all to share a larger performance space in the middle. The bars have their own themes. ‘Branko engaged me as a partner for my club experience,’ Martinez elaborates. ‘I organised the main stage and brought in Tomislav Koran, or Kuki as I know him, from Sunflower to design and specify a PA system. I needed someone of Kuki’s expertise; the atrium space is like all such buildings, a tall reverberant space. The audio specification would need to be tight. Besides, I didn’t want flower pots shaking off the walls and falling on someone’s head.’
‘Toni called me in July 2011 when the building was already in construction,’ Koran says, picking up the story. ‘Top bands and leading European DJs were their target artists, so I immediately thought to use d&b audiotechnik. Toni and Branko would need something internationally recognised with a good reputation.’
The PA system installed by Sunflower is based on d&b T10 loudspeakers with T-Subs and six of the new 18S-Subs from the d&b White installation range. ‘I made an Ease simulation and determined that the T-Series T10 loudspeaker in line array orientation would be perfect. At 105° horizontal it gave ideal coverage and power for an audience at short range; coupled with exact vertical control so I could keep the main energy off the reverberant surfaces. The additional 18S-Subs gave me the ability to localise and reinforce the low end in the surrounding bar/clubs, again without exciting the walls.’
‘When I saw the place for the first time and Mr Perković and I were talking about sound I was not worried at all. I said to myself, Kuki will solve everything,’ Martinez says. ‘And he did.’
In the few months since it opened, the club has hosted just about every famous artist and DJ in Croatia… ‘and international acts,’ Martinez adds. ‘In May, Edward Maya played here, Inna played here in June and Barbara Tucker just last month.
