Four years since opening, Gallery 1986 has built a reputation as one of the most versatile cultural locations in Lithuania. Located in a former radio transmitters factory on the southside of Vilinus, the 1,000-square-metre space combines Funktion-One sound with evolving architectural and lighting design, creating a venue that constantly reshapes its mood, matrix and perspective. Two distinct rooms offer contrasting experiences, ensuring every visit feels unique.

[Photos by Tautvydas Stukas]

The venue has hosted everything from theatre and opera productions to film screenings, discussions and artistic performances. At its heart, however, Gallery 1986 is dedicated to electronic music, providing a stage for artists and audiences to come together in transformative experiences. Together, they become co-creators of the night.

“A good sound system must be ranked at the top of the table when designing a club space,” says Gallery 1986’s Head Booker Paulius Austrevicius. “It has the power to shift the whole experience to another level.”

Before installing the sound system, the Gallery 1986 team worked on the acoustic design of the space, ensuring it could perform to its full potential. This reduced reverberation time to 0.7 seconds from as low as 50Hz, creating conditions where music can be experienced clearly, dynamically and without listener fatigue.

The main sound system combines Funktion-One Evo 6 full-range loudspeakers with Evo 6EL mid/bass and F124 bass enclosures, supported by additional Evo 6 and Evo 6SH for in fill. The Evo 6 design is fully horn-loaded and three-way, delivering linear frequency response and outstanding sensitivity for maximum clarity.

Amplification comes from Funktion-One’s F Series amplifiers, which combine Class D power with advanced digital signal processing. Their precision enables finely detailed system tuning.

The Gallery 1986 sound system adheres to important audio principles that are too often overlooked for convenience. By taking the time to get these fundamentals right - from acoustic treatment to loudspeaker choice and system tuning - the club has created a space where music can be experienced with exceptional clarity and emotional impact.

As Head of Sound Aleksandr Ratmanov explains: “Significant attention was dedicated to the acoustic design of the venue to fully reveal the system’s capabilities. The result is a platform that conveys the artistic message of music with real precision and power, giving our visitors unparalleled listening experiences.”