project news

Unusual Rigging & Engineering rings the changes for MCI

During the recent Watch and Jewellery Exhibition in Doha, a gala dinner was held at the Sheraton Hotel, where the evening’s entertainment included dramatic performances by aerial artists, dancers and musicians.

Essential to the performance were two concentric rings, 8m and 10m in diameter, designed to look like cogs from a watch. Flown above the stage, the ‘cogs’ appeared to float in mid-air, moving and gyrating in time to the music.

With the original equipment delayed in transit, production manager Romain Rossel of MCI Geneva was put in touch with Unusual Rigging and Engineering, who were able to step in and provide the precise control required for the performance.

Project manager for Unusual Rigging & Engineering Leon Ingram explains: "The rings were suspended from a 10m high ground support system, the movement being provided by 11 hoists. With only days to come up with the solution, we were thankful that our inventory includes Liftket chain hoists as these were perfect for the job. They offer various speed options and are extremely quiet, which was also a big factor in the presentation."

Romain Rossel says: "The effect of the flying rings was crucial to the show and it was a challenge for Leon and his team to join the project at the last minute. But they handled it well, adapting the equipment to provide the solution to our needs. They did a great job and our client and guests were very impressed with the result."

www.unusualrigging.com

15th May 2012

Audica Professional’s MICROseries Helps Cure ‘Gate Anxiety’ at JFK

Regardless of where they’re headed, the most common affliction suffered by air travellers is ‘gate anxiety’ – the fear of straying too far from their departure area and missing an important announcement, or their flight entirely. Until recently it was a condition generally considered incurable, but with the opening of innovative, high quality restaurants such as Bar Brace and Croque Madame in JFK’s Terminal 3 it can be significantly reduced.

Developed by OTG Management, Bar Brace and Croque Madame are not your average airport restaurants. In addition to allowing customers to order directly from their seats via iPads provided on site, the award-winning eateries feature menus developed in collaboration with local chefs and offer passengers great food and an authentic restaurant atmosphere right at their gate.

To create that atmosphere, OTG depends heavily on custom music programming and state of the art Audica Professional MICROseries audio systems provided by NYC’s EL Media Group. "Airports aren’t known for good sound," says EL’s chief creative officer, Ernie Lake, "but it’s not just about the food for OTG. They’re very in tune to music, so we have to have incredible programming and incredible sound." The central problem in meeting that mandate is selecting a system that can provide high intelligibility in spaces that are typically large and extremely live, and will physically fit into a restaurant where space itself is very much at a premium.

Luckily, Audica Professional’s MICROseries isn’t your average sound system. Featuring Class D amplifiers and onboard EQ, Audica’s MICROzone controller/amp and MICROplus 4-channel power amp combination are compact enough to fit into a small cabinet at each restaurant’s point of service. They power two Audica Professional MICROdot ceiling loudspeakers mounted above the bar and four surface-mount MICROline loudspeakers placed around the perimeter of the space. To give really well balanced sound, a compact active MICROsub is used to extend the low frequency.

Owing to the system’s compact footprint, sonic clarity and sleek design, Audica Professional has swiftly become OTG’s system of choice for similar projects such as Bar Brace in LaGuardia’s Terminal D as well as Cibo Market and Revive Bar in Terminal F at Philadelphia International Airport. "The sound quality is great, but the speakers also blend in very well with the restaurant’s overall look, which is modern and bold," says OTG’s Justin Blatstein. "We really don’t have room to hang up large speakers, so to be able to get speakers of this quality and this size is very important – Audica just fits in perfectly."

Established in 2008 in an effort to offer custom designed audio solutions to complement their existing music styling services, EL Media Group’s installation arm provides audio design/install services for a variety of high-end hotel, restaurant and retail applications across the United States.

10th May 2012

Osram Illuminates 2012 European Football Championship

Osram will be installing the latest light technology in four stadiums for the European Football Championship, which is to be held in Poland and the Ukraine from June 8 to July 1, 2012.

The National Stadium in Warsaw is the absolute highlight. Osram will be supplying cutting-edge lighting solutions for the stadium façade, which is to be used as a gigantic screen. "In a stadium, a range of very different lighting situations must be catered to in a small space and these require individual solutions. This is where our competence as a full liner comes into play, enabling us to provide one-stop solutions," said Klaus-Günter Vennemann, CEO of the General Lighting Business Unit at Osram. Along with Warsaw, the stadiums in Gdansk and Kiev will also be equipped with light solutions from Osram. A further one is planned in Lviv.

The exterior façade of the National Stadium in Warsaw will be the high point of the Euro 2012. Some 1,700 LED luminaires from the Osram subsidiary Traxon will light up the shell of the stadium in Poland's national colours of red and white, creating atmospheric light that is visible from far away. "We have successfully transformed the façade into a giant screen on which we can display a range of light patterns, match scores and the names of players and goal keepers on the outside of the structure," explained Bogumil Stepan, managing director of Osram in Poland. The segments of the interwoven shell of the building are fitted with dimmable Linear XB 36 LED luminaires which are anchored by specially developed holders, permitting uniform illumination of the individual panels. Unique effects can be created

in combination with an intelligent light management system.

Innovative light technology from Osram is also to be used for floodlight illumination in Warsaw, where 450 energy-efficient, high-output lamps have been installed to light the pitch. The lighting system, which is being used in the European Championship stadium in Gdansk, too, complies with the requirements for HD-quality TV broadcasting, but without dazzling spectators in the stands.

The other country hosting the 2012 European Championship, the Ukraine, has also opted for light technology from Osram in two of its stadiums. Specially converted for the 2012 championships, the Olympic Stadium in Kiev can accommodate around 66,000 visitors and will be hosting the finals. Almost 30,000 high-output LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors have been installed for the illumination of the stairs in the entrance area and for decorative light design in the bar area. "With our LED technology, we are supplying energy-efficient, durable and safe lighting in the entrance area," said Nikolai Dianov, managing director of Osram in the Ukraine.

A total of around 2,000 high-output lamps, 3,400 energy-saving lamps and 1,300 halogen lamps from Osram have been installed in Kiev for the illumination of interior spaces and the outdoor area. Their high energy-efficiency and long service life will greatly reduce both costs and CO2. It is also planned to install LEDs from Osram in Lviv where they would provide architectural illumination for the European Championship stadium. Meanwhile, a total of 2,000 metres of the LED Linearlight Flex strip, with its low consumption and outstanding flexibility, should bring modern LED light to even the most secluded corners of the stadium. So Osram would illuminate every second stadium for the European Football Championship.

A competent partner in the Allianz Arena and in the illumination of sports events Osram's successful projects in this sector include the lighting for the Allianz Arena in the north of Munich, the home of the professional soccer clubs FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München. The stadium is the first soccer venue in the world that can change the color of its entire façade – thanks to light technology from Osram and the Osram subsidiary Siteco. The stadium glows in red when FC Bayern München is playing, in blue when 1860 München is playing and in white when hosting Germany's national team.

After converting the floodlight system at the start of the current season, Osram will be creating distinctive, emotive lighting effects with advanced LED technology in the FC Bayern Theme World from mid-May 2012 onwards. The project involves installing a range of different LED components, intelligent management systems and OLED lamps throughout the Theme World.

Indeed, Osram already has an excellent track record in the field of large sports events. For instance, all ten stadiums which hosted the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa were fitted with energy-efficient technologies from the light manufacturer. The best-known installation is the LED Arch which spans the entire stadium in Durban.

In picture: the façade of the National Stadium in Warsaw – the emblem of the 2012 European Football Championship.

9th May 2012

Life and Dynacord VariLine enrich Beirut’s Nightlife

Known for its sleepless nightlife, Beirut’s club scene is richer now by one attraction: LIFE. The venue is one of the largest in the Lebanese capital, hosting 1,500 people in its indoor area with a large motorized, retractable roof, and double that number in its open-air area. The main area is the largest in size, with smaller seating spaces located to the left and right. For this showcase project, the owners of the club wanted a sound system that would be able to deliver high sound levels as well as exceptional sound quality, while avoiding the distortion usually associated with systems delivering high SPLs.

Maurice Salloum, sound engineer and co-owner of LIFE, took the responsibility of identifying the right system as well as the right company to complete the installation. Having a long-term relation with Beirut based HI FI Service, Salloum knew he is in safe hands working with them. "I wanted an unparalleled system for our venue," he says, "a system that can generate high SPLs and at the same time produce an excellent sound. Additionally, I needed a system that could be used as an indoor system during the winter season and that could be moved outside during summer, when the club shifts to the open air area."

Oussama Mansour Abou Faraj, manager of HI FI Service, was determined to provide his client with HI FI’s best services and expertise, not only because of the trust the owners of the club invested in him, but also knowing that this club was going to be a top club both in Beirut and the region. "I proposed using a Dynacord VariLine system," says Abou Faraj and continues: "We have used the system in other clubs – always with outstanding results." To ensure an optimal sound system design, Abou Faraj decided to work closely with the Dynacord’s MEA technical support manager Tony Sawyer, both discussing the needs of the client and his concept to tackle the issue. A full-venue analysis was undertaken in which a full room model was done using Ulysses, to ensure the position and speakers were right for the application.

The design itself now includes eight Dynacord VL 212 2-way full range cabinets covering the main area and reinforced by ten Dynacord VL 122. Five Dynacord VL 262 cabinets cover the upper tier areas, two VL 262 cabinets act as DJ monitors. As the interior required discrete subwoofer placement, HI FI brought in an interior decorator to tackle the issue at hand. Designed as a large "covert" subwoofer system, the installation includes six Sub 28 subs and eight Sub 18 subs.

"To control of all this amount of sound, the control of the whole system needed to be flexible and powerful, allowing proper signal management," says Abou Faraj. "What’s better than the Dynacord P64 digital signal processor and the DSA multi-channel amplifiers? That’s why we called on these to do the job." Two units were used: one standard P64 along with one P64-1500 configured as an 8-input / 32-output with the DSAs connected using CobraNet. An installed IRIS-Net GUI allows for system control with the advantage of a protected system with no risk to the safety and integrity of the system, yet giving the DJs enough control to satisfy the venue. The main DJ inputs / DJ monitor inputs and subsequent outputs are all controlled via the DSAs. "We also installed ten Dynacord DSA 8410 4 x 1000 W and one DSA 8805 as amplifiers", explains Abou Faraj and enthuses: "Fitted with the Variable Load Drive (VLD) modules, they make the power hunger cabinets work like a charm." An additional four Dynacord VL 212 speakers, six Sub 28 subs, and three DSA 8410 amplifiers are added when the system is installed in the outside area.

On the opening night the sound system was fully installed, the place packed and 1,200 people were rocking to a well-tuned VariLine system. LIFE’s co-owner Maurice Salloum was equally in the mood to celebrate: "The system performs even better than we would have expected. It is extremely powerful, clear and has offered everything we could want. We have definitely made the right choice: Dynacord!"

In picture: the unique club concept features an indoor area with a retractable roof as well as an open-air area – complemented by a lavish Dynacord sound reinforcement system featuring VariLine loudspeakers

4th May 2012

IDR Installed in the Torch of Doha

The Aspire Zone is the triumphant symbol of Qatar's sporting heritage. Spread over a 250 hectare site, the city has been designed to attract local and international sport enthusiasts alike. Embodying the spirit of the 2006 Asian Games, The Torch Doha is a beacon of luxury and well-being offering a unique 5-star experience. At 300m high and with 360° panoramic views across the whole of Doha, The Torch is a haven for the discerning traveller whether they are sports enthusiasts, business leaders or health and wellness seekers.

AVTech, Paxt Ltd.’s distributor for Allen & Heath in Qatar, was given the task to meet and overcome the most complex applications and install a user friendly solution - quality and system redundancy being the focal points. Comparing the conventional matrix processors in the market, AVTech decided to opt for the most complete integrated system, Q-Sys developed by QSC, and an Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer to provide separate audio management and control.

In seven state of the art meeting rooms, the AVTech team installed the Allen & Heath iDR-8 16x16 matrix mixer. The iDR-8 matrix mixer has an extensive array of audio management tools - this reduces the need for additional devices to be specified for an installation, or carried in the hire inventory. Pedigree ALLEN & HEATH preamps, 24bit converters and fixed DSP architecture ensure that concert-quality low-latency sound is delivered efficiently to where it is needed. The iDR System Manager software allows customization and enhanced control allowing user defined configuration, custom EQ,MIC mixing and PL-Anet remote control.

Pradeep Kumar, Project Manager for AVTech said: “THE TORCH Doha, meeting rooms sound great with the processing power of the iDR8 and brings user friendly and reliable technology to each of the meeting rooms.”

Hugo Feighery, International Sales Manager for Paxt Ltd said: “AVTech provide a high quality and comprehensive turnkey solution and are an excellent partner for Allen and Heath and Paxt. They are regularly involved in high profile projects and promote Allen and Heath very successfully.”

19th April 2012

Stage Technologies Around the World

On many projects Stage Technologies are bound by confidentiality agreements which prevent publicising them. However, they are working on projects over the world at present and here’s just a taster.

For the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture they are designing, supplying and commissioning stage automation systems for three venues on this massive site in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The venues include a 1,000 seat theatre, a 350 seat cinema/lecture theatre, and a large multipurpose venue named the Great Hall. In total the company is supplying over 84 power flying winches and bars, 68 variable speed intelligent CH:i chainhoists, multiple stage and orchestra lifts, powered curtains, projection screens and other specialist equipment, all controlled by Nomad control desks.

At the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) Stage Technologies are working with Delstar Engineering on this project in Scotland's capital to supply a moving floor system, additional function space and office development. We are providing mechanical design, build and installation as well as a control system. The moving floor system comprises 29 lifts covering a floor area of 30m x 51m. The lifts have a series of risers built into the platforms to enable different formats of raked seating to be set up. Twelve of the central lifts also have a revolve facility to enable some seating platforms to be turned inwards, to form an "arena" mode for set-ups such as snooker tournaments or boxing.

The Milton Court project is for London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here, Stage Technologies is working with Theatre Projects Consultants on this new build theatre and concert hall in the base of a 35-storey tower under construction at the Barbican. The theatre includes 53 axes of overhead flying plus an orchestra lift, while the concert hall is 26 axes of overhead flying with 20 stage lifts. Due for completion this year, the Stage Technologies team is on site now.

www.stagetech.com

10th April 2012

Oasis Enterprises at the Pinnacle

How do you illuminate a 100m high metal tube on top of the tallest building in the world? That was exactly the question asked of Oasis Enterprises – Architainment Division – who were called in to solve the challenge.

Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, is over 828 meters high with more than 160 storeys. Oasis had intimate knowledge of the structure and connectivity having already worked on the contract to integrate and programme the festive lighting system comprising over 800 strobes. An on site mock-up test was scheduled within weeks and the concept was enthusiastically embraced by global property developer, Emaar Properties, who gave the green light. The system comprises four 2kW and two 3kW xenon Falcon spotlights from A&O technology located on the upper terraces. Oasis technicians originally installed rental units to hit the deadline for EID ul Fitr marking the end of Ramadan.

Production units have been installed on custom brackets and connected to the existing building control system providing nightly illumination of the pinnacle. At the request of the tower’s facility management team, Oasis reprogrammed the existing touch screens to add more maintenance functionality. A further touch panel was added up the spire at 720m which allows each unit to be locally dimmed and tested.

Oasis team did a great job getting the material up and down the spire three times for demo, rental and installation. Considering the distance from the last elevator to the top is almost an Eiffel Tower, it was challenging work during the summer period. Another remarkable fact is that project was executed from start to completion locally in Dubai - with the support of A&O Technology in Abu Dhabi.

16th March 2012

Technosound Chooses Community to Provide Indoor and Outdoor Solutions for Bkerké

Built in 1893 and located 650 meters above the bay of Jounieh in Lebanon, Bkerké is the See of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate. Like many ancient religious buildings the architecture is beautiful and the acoustics challenging. For its new sound system the Church commissioned Lebanon-based pro audio specialist Technosound to provide a solution that would give the highest quality audio with the minimum aesthetic intrusion. A combined system was required to provide sound for both the interior of the main church and also for selected areas outside the building.

“For the main area inside the church we chose Community’s ENTASYS three-way, full-range column line-array loudspeaker systems,” said Pierre Fahed of Technosound. “Their wide horizontal and very narrow vertical dispersion gives excellent coverage with minimal overspill to the reflective surfaces of the room. The ENTASYS also provides the highest intelligibility from a very slim column, which merges well aesthetically. To minimise intrusion we painted the units locally, to match the building’s stone interior.”

For the outside areas at the front entrance and the courtyard, Technosound utilised Community R.25-94TZ two-way, full-range, all-weather systems, with a 90 x 40 degree coverage pattern. “For sound quality combined with long-term outdoor reliability, Community’s R-Series are unequalled,” said Fahed. “Their compact size and discreet colouring were again a big advantage in minimising visual impact.”

To ensure high quality voice for the system, Technosound supplied a range of AKG microphones, including two AKG WMS450-P wireless, four AKG CGN521E goosenecks, four AKG C5 condensers and one AKG D5S vocal mic. These are mixed via an Allen & Heath ZED22FX with an ART MX225 distribution mixer for zone control. Processing is handled by a DBX DriveRack PA+ and the loudspeakers are driven by QSC PLX3602 amplifiers. Two QSC K10 active loudspeakers provide foldback for the choir and the system is complete for recording and playback with a TEAC CDP650 CD Player and a TEAC CDRW890 CD Recorder.

“Community really did have the ideal solutions for this installation, inside and out,” concluded Fahed, “visually discreet with excellent sound quality, ideal coverage patterns and assured reliability. Most importantly, the Church is very impressed and completely satisfied with the new system.”

13th March 2012

QSC House of K Drives The Beat of Haifa Nightclub

QSC distributor, Kilim Electronics, has permanently installed a PA system based on QSC KLA Series Active Line Arrays and both K and KW Series Active Loudspeakers at one of Israel’s hottest nightclubs, The Beat. Two KLA arrays, each with three KLA12 loudspeaker elements, are suspended on either side of the nightclub's main stage. Eight KW181 subwoofers provide the extended low end needed to keep the crowds moving, while six K12 active loudspeakers act as the on-stage monitors for The Beat’s performing musicians. Two additional K12s around the club act as out-fills for the PA.

One of Israel's best-known music venues, The Beat regularly hosts live music from significant local artists and performers, as well as big-name artists on the international touring circuit. Every Tuesday night the club holds an 'open mic' night, when any artists may take the stage and perform their art, bringing only their instruments with them. For this reason, the quality of the venue's PA, through which all of these artists have to perform, is of particular importance.

According to Doron and Erez, owners of The Beat nightclub, since the installation was carried out many artists performing in the club have noticed the improvement. "A lot of artists play at The Beat on tour, and most of the live sound engineers who've worked here since the summer have commented on the improved sound quality and power offered by the new QSC system,” they explain. “Most have liked the fact that the system produces audio at a high volume but does not hurt their ears like other nightclub PA systems.

"The sound is clear without distortion, the subs are strong but not too overpowering, and the number of people who arrive at the club is increasing from week to week,” say the owners.

Gadi Kilim, head of Kilim Electronics, adds: "The use of KLA, KW and K Series loudspeakers is very convenient and efficient. Since there are no amplifiers which physically take a lot of space, and the current draw of the K Family amplifier module is so low… the QSC system is the smart solution for permanent installations, especially when the audience is located close to the stage."

10th February 2012

Imerge Sails on the Super Yacht Aiyana

Holiday makers chartering the luxury super yacht Aiyana can tap into a store of over 250 movies and more than 1700 music CDs thanks to the installation of a state of the art entertainment system that has an Imerge media server at its core.

The Imerge media server has 3TB of storage and five Imerge Media Players, all linked to an AMX control system. As well as storing movies it also stores all of the music, which is accessed by a Sonos 5 Zone Audio system and played through Dolby Pro Logic surround sound and Bose 5.1 outdoor surround Sound for the deck areas.

“With this system we can basically do everything, all at once,” says Aiyana’s Captain Ross ‘Rosco’ Monson. “Our guests can play the same or different movies or music in a variety of different locations. This means that we can cater for everyone’s entertainment needs at all times, which is important when you are aiming to keep people happy and give them a great holiday experience.”

Built without compromise and launched in June 2010, the 81ft/24.7m Aiyana was custom designed by Warwick Yacht Design in Auckland, New Zealand, and turned into reality in Alia Yachts in Antalya, Turkey. The yacht has a lifting keel that allows her to cruise in the shallowest of waters and get close in to the best anchorages. With the keel down she has power to race in the most competitive regattas and deliver great performance offshore in all weather conditions.

Inside, the yacht can accommodate up to six guests in its three cabins, along with cabins for the three full time crew members. Each guest cabin has its own 32” LCD TV which is linked to the Imerge onboard entertainment system. There are also a 32” LDC TVs in the main and lower salons.

“The Aiyana is available to charter in the Mediterranean (Italy and France) in the summer and Caribbean in the winter,” Captain Rosco says. “We usually have families or groups of friends onboard who charter the boat for one or two weeks at a time.”

The Imerge media server was chosen for Aiyana by the boat’s owner who wanted an entertainment system with no compromises.

“Installing this type of equipment on a yacht is not like tackling a home installation as there are many potential problems that have to be addressed and overcome,” Captain Rosco explains. “Power, cabling and cooling are all issues. The cables must be securely fixed otherwise the connection between the units can be lost when sailing. Universal Power supplies have been installed throughout the system to keep constant power when changing from Generator to Shorepower and batteries. Each unit is fan cooled and the server has its own air conditioning system to keep it cool in the Caribbean and summer temperatures.”

With a year of service under its belt, the Aiyana’s Imerge media server and entertainment system is more than living up to its reputation for consistency, performance and ease of use.

“It is an incredibly reliable system, which is an important factor when you are on a commercial yacht that is travelling the world,” Captain Rosco adds. “Since her launch in 2010, the Aiyana has sailed regularly and has competed successfully in a number of sailing regattas. Not many other Imerge units will have that claim to fame. We are really delighted with our choice of media server - the Imerge system has been impeccable, as has the service we have received from the company. It provides seamless functionality to allow access to stored media, it is also robust enough to be used in the marine environment and we look forward to watching many more movies in the future.”

30th January 2012

LOBO Installation Set to Break All Records

Shortly before the turn of the year, a huge laser projection appeared on the monumental facade of the 175 metre high Anayasa tower in Ashgabat. Slowly the figure "2011" faded away and the laser counted down the last seconds of the year. The gathered crowd cheered as the year "2012" appeared and the entire city shined brightly under magnificent fireworks.

At the same time, a giant permanent laser installation was launched. It is scheduled for continuous operation in January 2012 and will set new standards worldwide. The installation connects the highest towers of the Turkmenistan capital city Ashgabat with dazzling-bright laser beams in the national colour of green. Also display lasers are part of the project, used for brilliant building projections, which were seen for the first time at New Year’s Eve.

The rumor goes that the president of Turkmenistan himself had the idea for this project. On his behalf, the largest Turkish construction corporation Polimeks searched for the ideal partner for implementing this demanding project. Numerous companies in the display laser industry brought in ideas, concepts and offers. But in the end, internationally renowned laser specialist LOBO won the competition.

Under one roof LOBO bundled the experience of a leading full-range-manufacturer for display laser systems with the ingenuity of the industry’s internationally most-awarded show design team. LOBO has proven its competence all around the globe with innumerable outstanding large-scale projects, both as permanent installations and on a temporary basis.

But even for LOBO’s experienced engineers, this project was a real challenge. A total distance of almost 30 km had to be spanned between all the towers in an extremely bright environment. Within LOBO’s 30-year history, temporary projects of similar scale have been implemented on a rental basis. But the fully automated and daily operation of such a complex system demanded entirely different approaches.

To provide optimal visibility, all beams were designed bi-directionally. Only lasers of the highest brightness class have been used. The ultra-bright lasers of LOBO’s Sparks series served as the primary technical basis for the project, but Coherent Verdi lasers were also used. The automation of the installation is handled by LOBO’s proprietary LACON-5 platform. Thanks to integrated GPS-modules, it also takes care of absolutely exact synchronization of all laser systems.

LOBO’s creative director Alexander Hennig said: "Thanks to our own 10-km-long laser test track, we could show our clients that it is not enough just to install any kind of high-powered laser. We had to achieve an especially high effective brightness. This depends mostly on the interaction of several factors beyond laser power. Superlative beam quality was a key criterion at this project. In the LOBO laboratories, especially designed optics were developed for this installation, guaranteeing optimal light density even over extreme distances.

Considering the enormous extension of the installation, officials of the International Laser Display Association (ILDA) believe that it is the largest permanent display laser installation in the world. Turkemistan’s president personally inspected the installation himself from a helicopter. It is said that he was very satisfied with the result.

16th January 2012

Bolshoi’s Sumptuous Set Design Includes the Dance Floor

After a six year restoration project, reported to have cost a massive £1/2 billion, Moscow’s iconic Bolshoi Theatre re-opened last autumn with a glittering gala performance attended by president Dmitry Medveded and the Russian elite. Unusually, instead of unobtrusively providing a world-class floor for the dancers, the Harlequin dance floor was itself an integral part of the set design for the Bolshoi Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty.

Thanks to innovative techniques developed by Harlequin’s development engineering team, the usually plain vinyl dance surface echoed the sumptuous set design with an intricate pattern designed by the Italian designer Ezio Frigerio.

Using advanced wide format computer controlled printing techniques, the Bolshoi’s design was digitised for printing on rolls of specially formatted white Harlequin Cascade vinyl.

Extensive testing and experimentation during the development of the technique ensured the surface characteristics – so important to professional dancers – were maintained while ensuring adequate adhesion of the inks to withstand scuffing from ballet shoes. Harlequin is pleased to announce that this capability is now offered as a custom option for purchasers of their floors.

Harlequin Cascade is a reinforced vinyl dance surface manufactured to high standards. It is popular with stage managers as a heavy-duty stage floor withstanding general stage use and tolerant of heavy props and also ideal for dance. A silky smooth emboss gives deceptively good grip conveying a soft feel, giving dancers an unmatched confidence for demanding choreography. The underlying Harlequin Liberty sprung floor comprises a series of inter-linked panels designed to provide consistent shock absorption that independent research shows minimise stress injuries for dancers.

13th January 2012

Optocore Boosts Functionality for Muscat’s World Class Opera House

Occupying an eight hectare site, the magnificent new Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM), built at the behest of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, was officially opened in October. The complex, consisting of a concert theatre, auditorium, formal landscaped gardens, cultural market with retail outlets and luxury restaurants, is an arts centre for musical, theatrical and operatic productions, and has been designed to reflect contemporary Omani architecture.

Despite being classified as an Opera House, the main performance space converts from a theatre setting into a world class concert and organ recital hall.

The technical infrastructure of ROHM has now been further boosted with the delivery of an Optocore optical fibre network system which will enhance connectivity and route signals to the many different performance spaces within the complex. At the same time a MADI bridge will enable recording from the proposed Capture/Production suite whilst using Optocore converters to link with a Midas XL8 front-of-house mixing console.

In proposing the Optocore design, Bruno Silva, one of ROHM’s deputy sound and broadcast managers (formerly a manager at Kings Place in London), sourced the 20 Optocore components for the network from long-standing UK Optocore specialists, HD Pro Audio.

He is one of three resident experienced sound engineers, who joined the project in September 2010. The remainder of the team comprises Head of Sound and Broadcast, Collin Chivers (formerly a manager at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden) and joint deputy manager of sound and broadcast, Mike Compton (formerly a senior sound engineer at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford upon Avon).

Working with the consultants, they modified some of the specifications, adding additional equipment including the Optocore network. "We knew this would boost the sound and video comms connectivity via analogue, optical, video and Ethernet patches," stated Bruno Silva.

In addition to the main configurable auditorium, the Optocore network extends coverage to the smaller 80-seat studio theatre the terrace, on the roof of the building, the front of house foyer spaces and to the a large outside marbled space (‘Maidan’).

Bruno adds: "The ROHM is Oman’s premier venue for culture and arts, receiving acts from around the world. Its many performance spaces can host many different events and all will benefit from the Optocore ring."

Headroom has been built into the system so that the Pro Tools capture suite, with a proposed Lawo mc90 desk and video gallery, can eventually be connected to the Optocore network, without the need for an additional stagebox; the network can also be arranged to provide multi-tracking to OB’s.

The newly commissioned Optocore solution provides the house with a flexible input and return system. At the hub is a DD32R-FX in the main theatre comms room, offering 32 AES ports with SANE and Ethernet. Providing a much more energy efficient option than its predecessor (the DD32E) the SANE port has allowed the ROHM team to be highly creative, adding analogue channels, Ethernet and MADI-based CAT5 connectivity to the network.

The DD32R-FX interfaces with the new X6R-TP (8MI/8LO) converter and Optocore DD2FR-FX, providing MADI ports, linked to Klark Teknik DN9650 processors and to the two Midas XL8 FOH consoles via a RME MADI bridge.

The two main stage racks offer 48 channels, so that one or both racks can be deployed for the orchestra or split across other areas of the building.

The racks consist of four further X6R-FX and CAT5-linked X6R-TP modules, (variously configured 16MI and 8MI/8LO), before outputting to a further X6R-TP (16MI) and X6R-FX (8MI/8LO) on the Terrace stage, connected via an Optocore DD4MR-FX and LX4B FOH network converter, with 48 outputs and 16 inputs at FOH.

Also linked into the digital architecture are the Foyer/Porch, via an additional X6R FX (8MI/8LO), and three rack modules in the Studio Theatre — comprising X6R-TP’s (configured 16MI) and X6R FX (8MI/8LO).

"The whole idea behind Optocore is to enable us to relay audio and record, across the stage areas," says Bruno Silva. "For instance if we need to put a band into the second theatre we can use the Optocore to connect the multi-channels to the FOH Midas desk using the local Optocore preamps and to also split the feeds simultaneously to the Capture suite and Lawo mc90 desk, deploying the MADI stream of the DD2FR-FX interface."

Having Optocore running across the building provides all kinds of possibilities, he says. "We can link the signals and relay from area to area, using all available pro audio standards including AES/EBU and MADI."

The design of the ROHM was a collaboration between a UK based design team, including Acoustic Dimensions and architects WATG, working with the in house interior designers and the client (The Royal Court of Affairs Oman).

At the same time, one major feat, achieved in conjunction with the consultants Theatre Projects, was the making of the main stage and auditorium reconfigurable — adjusting the acoustic space to produce a beautiful sounding seamless concert space.

11th January 2012

Unusual Rigging and Engineering Scale the Heights of Mall of the Emirates

When dpa Lighting Consultants were tasked with bringing the lighting in the Galleria and Via Rodeo areas of Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates into line with other locations in the Mall, the project presented two major challenges. The first was an extremely short time scale for the whole project, which the client required to be completed before the start of Ramadan. The second was the actual logistics of the installation.

The Mall is open to the public seven days a week, from 10am until midnight, which meant that the installation could only take place at night. Added to the time limitation was the height of the atria – a full 46 metres.

Following a review of the existing lighting installation and consideration of the options of how to increase the lighting levels, dpa had recommended replacing the existing tungsten halogen spotlights with Erco Stella metal halide lamps, thus improving energy efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. However, they wanted to install the new track and fixtures as high in the atria as possible, so called in Dubai’s Unusual Rigging and Engineering to solve the problem of working at such a height.

With just two days in which to devise a safe system, Leon Ingram, project manager for Unusual Rigging and Engineering, designed a 1½ ton working platform which his team pre-built in the company’s workshop. This enabled them to ensure it would meet all safety standards, and also to number individual parts, making the on-site build quick and easy.

Unusual Rigging and Engineering installed a series of electric chain hoists onto the existing gantry of the various atria, so the working platform would be suspended, and lowered and raised as required. Thus the platform could be lowered for the installation team at the start of each shift, and ‘parked’ out of sight in the roof of the atria when not in use. The platform was moved to the different atria by motor bridling from bay to bay, with protective flooring and coverings preventing any damage to the fabric of the Mall.

The completed installation comprised 192m of Erco lighting track, with 202 Stella 150W HIT 6⁰spotlights. Damien McKay, senior designer at dpa Lighting Consultants commented: “Everyone involved with the project was very impressed with Unusual Rigging’s efficiency, cooperativeness and professionalism.”

9th November 2011

Christie Projects For Electrosonic at Kuwait 360 Mall Family Entertainment Center

The 360 Mall’s Family Entertainment Center complex in Kuwait features an all-around immersive mall experience that offers top-of-the-line rides, the latest video games and skill tests for the entire family.

Electrosonic designed, supplied, installed and programmed extensive LED lighting, digital signage, video projection, special effects, audio and show control — drawing on Christie projection — for what has become a go-to destination. The overall concept was created by Tamdeen Entertainment Company and designed by Concept i Design.

Helping to put the ‘fun’ into the ‘Infunity Zone’, with its assortment of rides, is a Christie DS+750, 7500 ANSI lumens single-chip DLP SXGA+ projector. Working in combination with GestureTek gesture-controlled tracking technology this projects vertically down onto the floor to enable children to interact with the content of popping balloons and swimming fish.

Elsewhere, the Freeze Club (with its North Pole motif) offers a unique venue for Kuwaiti teens with arcades, video games and simulators. An interactive video wall at the entrance features two flexible Christie DHD700 single-chip DLP HD projectors — again working with GestureTek cameras and tracking systems, and outputting 6500 ANSI lumens — allowing young guests to interact with the content, while low-lying fog is generated underneath the video wall itself.

Extremely popular in visitor attractions, the DHD700 contains a unique, user-changeable, twin-colour wheel system (to offer high brightness and rich-colour options) so that the presentation can be optimised according to which mode is preferred. There is also a choice of six motorised HD lens.

Creating further impact in Infunity 67 LED fixtures wash the games area and generate excitement with colour changes, while an entire wall of 18 displays forms an art installation in the middle of the zone’s large atrium. Infunity also features what is believed to be the largest LED wall in Kuwait — a 10mm, 7.68 x 4.8 meter LED video wall.

Electrosonic have also injected the Freeze Club with 15 LCD digital signage systems to display advertising and information, while a lo-res wall, boasting over 2,000 meters of LEDs, wraps around the entire room and displays fire, rain, graphics and abstract patterns. A laser system, installed by Electrosonic, recreates the Aurora Borealis on the domed ceiling and is enhanced by smoke effects.

The complex also incorporates a 20 lane Bowl Room (plus separate VIP lanes), which includes 3,500 individual strands of colour-changing fibre in a nine-chandelier array, while the overall installation incorporates an advanced audio solution, with central and local control racks, while centrally-located Medialon servers control digital signage throughout the complex.

Electrosonic’s scope of work in the complex spanned a total of 18 months. Local labour and support was provided by aDawliah.

2nd November 2011

IC Live Delivers For Qatar Soccer Stadiums

Two soccer stadiums in Qatar have each been equipped with a uniquely designed Renkus-Heinz IC Live digitally beam steerable PA system, configured to deliver music, safety announcements and match commentary in the largely roofless venues, which are owned by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC).

The multi-purpose stadium in Al-Rayyan, Qatar, home to the Al-Rayyan and Al-Kharitiyath sports clubs, and the near-identical Al-Gharafa stadium, seat around 25,000 apiece. Both are largely open-air apart from VIP grandstands, and in a country where summertime temperatures can hit 40°C/104°F, the term "bleacher" means exactly what it says.

They are the latest in a series of high profile Renkus-Heinz beam steering installations in the Middle East, two other recent prestigious projects being the Qatar Royal Mosque and the Dubai Swim Stadium.

Consultant Fredrik Setterberg of Swedish audio specialists Soliflex was called in the fine-tune the design and, he explains, this has turned out to be another world first for the versatile IC Live system, which was installed in record time by local contractor Al-Tamas.

Says Setterberg: "It was a very fast job from start to finish - about a month from the order being received. We and Al-Tamas equipped two stadiums with 16 IC Live arrays and two sub-woofers in each stadium, each connected via RHAON (Renkus-Heinz Audio Operations Network). We originally planned to have the loudspeakers on the edge of the pitch shooting upwards towards the audience, but the QOC asked for a re-design, partly because of visibility issues. The main challenge was to massively improve intelligibility across the seating areas without interfering with sightlines - and without a roof to hang speakers from."

He continues: "We solved it by mounting the IC Live columns on custom-built downward-angled mounting poles on the stadium's outer wall behind the spectators, with the cabinets upside-down to get the high frequency drivers as close to the audience as possible. A combination of the mechanical angling and IC Live's beam steering effectively aims the sound directly across the spectators' heads.

"The solution worked out really well. We have very good STI values, and the SPL is more than enough to cover the whole arena - even with all the crowd noise."

Where the original PA had employed 42 loudspeakers around the arena, the new solution with IC Live sees just 16 units covering the whole stadium. The CobraNet system has an analog backup for redundancy and the system is designed to allow future expansion of its functionality to include voice alarm capability, as Setterberg explains: "It's only a PA for now, although we have recommended that we can integrate it with the voice alarm in the future, because the IC Live is considerably more powerful than the existing VA loudspeakers."

Sound sources are mostly music, in the shape of national anthems, and spoken commentaries, announcing the names of goal scorers and the recipients of yellow cards, delivered by an announcer from a media booth in the grandstand using a wireless microphone.

A 360 Systems hard-disk-based playout system provides the musical content, with a Yamaha mixer integrating the various sound sources. A MediaMatrix NION NX handles distribution to the system's 11 zones, which can be switched on and off independently, while all the speaker processing is performed within RHAON.

"The big advantage with RHAON is that you don't need an expensive DSP processor, because the only function it performs is the matrix zone routing," says Setterberg. "We use RHAON for EQ and beam steering and everything else, and networking is all on fibre optic with Cat-5 up to the loudspeakers, which are weatherised and are fitted with ruggedized Ethernet switches that will work at up to 85°C/185°F without fan cooling."

23rd September 2011

Allen & Heath Selected for New Saudi Arabian University Installation

Allen & Heath mixing consoles have been installed throughout the new Princess Noura bint AbdulRahman University for Women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Supplied by CAP France BAT with the support of Allen & Heath distributor PAXT Pro Audio Engineering, the audio installation encompasses the University’s Convention Centre including a 2800 capacity theatre, a smaller 1400 capacity theatre, a rehearsal/multi-purpose theatre, and ten seminar rooms.

The University was officially opened by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah less than three years after laying the first foundation stone. The major building project covers 8 million square metres, and includes administration buildings, 13 faculties, a 700-bed student hospital, laboratories, research centres and a residential area including accommodation for students and staff. The capacity of the university is around 26,000 students.

The two larger theatres feature a total of four iDR-48 MixRacks and four iLive-T112 Control Surfaces to manage FOH and monitors, whilst the Black Box rehearsal theatre contains an iDR-32 MixRack with iLive-T80 Control Surface. Additionally, ZED-14 analogue stereo USB mixers are installed in each of the seminar rooms to mix wireless,goose-neck mics and programme audio sources.

In picture: one of the iLive-T112 Control Surfaces located in PNU University large theatre.

22nd September 2011

Renkus-Heinz the Sound of Dubai's Spectacular Swim Stadium

Rising like an elegant blue wave from the sands of the Arabian Peninsula, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex is a stunningly futuristic building.

Created by FaulknerBrowns Architects and ARUP, its centrepiece is the Dubai International Swim Stadium, the 18,000-seat aquatics complex made its international début hosting the Fina World Short Course Swimming Championship.

This impressive venue is divided into main pool and training pool areas and, suspended from the soaring arched roof, a long gantry carries a PA system that's designed for both audio quality and cost efficiency in equal measure.

As Renkus-Heinz Middle East sales representative Norbert Bau explains: "The initial sound system design specified 40 large speakers hanging from the ceiling. We felt the budget could be used more effectively, so we submitted an alternative, via our consultant, Ricardo Castro at RCE Electroacustica, to convert the main competition hall system design to just four IC Live Duals and two IC Live singles."

Bau continues: "The VIP and VVIP stands are covered by two SG151 compact two-way loudspeakers to add a little bit of extra warmth to the sound in those areas. In effect it means we are able to deliver even sound coverage to all 18,000 seats in the stadium with a main system of just eight loudspeakers."

Facing the seating from the central roof gantry, the six loudspeaker locations - made up of a total of four dual IC Live arrays and two single IC Live arrays – cover the entire main bowl.

Exploiting IC Live's multi-beam capability, each array is configured in BeamWare to provide three individual beam angles that cover the seating terraces from poolside to just under the roof.

Bau adds: "When we first explored this idea it was quite exciting, as it was the first time we'd looked at covering such a huge space in this way. But the solution worked in EASE simulations; it met the budgetary requirements; it gave the stadium owners an almost invisible system - and it's performing really well. It's great walking up and down the spectator terraces and hearing equal intelligibility and transparency everywhere."

The training pool hall has its own system, using two IC24s, while a total of 80 Iconyx loudspeakers cover the cafeteria and other public spaces, and just two Iconyx IC32 columns cover the entire Grand Foyer.

Renkus-Heinz's California factory, which regularly supplies weatherised versions of products to order, added specially developed, warrantied, chlorine-resistant coatings and treatment for the drivers.

A Biamp-based CobraNet network and a secondary analogue network, plus full integration with a secondary voice alarm system, ensure compliance with all international VA/PA safety standards.

8th September 2011

Turbosound for the Skybar

Skybar is quite simply the most impressive high-end open-air nightclub in the whole of the Middle East. Perched on a slab of reclaimed land jutting out from the port area into the Mediterranean Sea, Skybar is the jewel in Beirut's crown, attracting the hottest stars and hosting the best parties.

Not only is it a true open air club environment with all the freedom of musical enjoyment that that implies, the design of Skybar was the work of up and coming architect Sari El Khazen to ensure that people remain in constant relation with each other no matter where they are within the venue, providing a compellingly infectious atmosphere. There are no private hideaways here; everyone is a VIP at Skybar.

Top international broadcasters CNN and the BBC have covered the party scene at Skybar, and as a result its reputation is truly global, making it a must-visit destination for world-class personalities visiting Beirut. With top performers busting rhymes and laying down funky beats, a Turbosound rig is called upon to deliver to a high level under harsh climatic conditions.

Louay Agha of Lebanon-based Thunder Electronics explains his original 2008 system design: "With Skybar being open to the elements I specified Turbosound's TCS-C series of weather-resistant loudspeakers, whose qualities are vitally important."

These qualities include marine-grade birch plywood construction with stainless steel fixings and grilles, internally sealed with a moisture-resistant compound and externally sprayed with a tough polyurethane coating, plus the loudspeaker cones are sealed with a silicone waterproofing agent. Together with the sealed cable-entry gland and tail, this treatment gives weather-resistant TCS Compact products the most effective protection from moisture in an outdoor environment.

A total of 12 TCS-121CW 12" 2-ways, 16 TCS-081CW 8" 2-ways, eight TCS-20 double 5" 2-ways and eight TCS-215CW double 15" reflex-loaded subwoofers are installed, with control by an LMS-D24 processor and sound from CD decks and DJ mixers.

The system has seen an upgrade this year with the addition of eight TCX-12 two-way loudspeakers and six B-18 subwoofers from the Compact series, powered by Turbosound's latest DSP-based amplifier: the RACKDP-50, which delivers an impressive 1250 watts at 2 ohms from each of its four output channels.

"Skybar opens at 8pm each evening and functions as a chill-out lounge with food and background music," says Agha. "Then at midnight it fires up as a nightclub, with DJ sets and occasional live performances. So the loudspeakers need to be able to cope with a variety of different kinds of music and maintain excellent sound quality at different volume levels.

"Because of our experience with outdoor installations, it was a straightforward task to ensure all the areas were covered adequately and I have had nothing but positive responses. Many people commented on how amazing the sound is for an outdoor venue."

6th September 2011

Robert Juliat Chosen for Landmark Venue in Doha

Svetlost Teatar of Belgrade has supplied the landmark venue of Qatar Education City Convention Centre in Doha with a large selection of Robert Juliat HMI profiles, followspots and Solo Fluorescent lighting.

Designed by Arata Isozaki and RHWL Architects, the exterior of the QECCC complex resembles a Sidra tree - the national symbol of Qatar. It is made up of 10 halls, including the 2500-seat Lyric Theatre, the 500-seat Concert Hall and a 4000-capacity banqueting and event facility, in addition to lecture halls, breakout spaces and a multipurpose exhibition hall.

Svetlost Teatar equipped the Lyric Theatre with Robert Juliat D’Artagnan 930 SNX 2.5kW HMI profiles, complete with Jalousie 2 dimming shutters, and two Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots. Twenty-four Solo 744 fluorescent strips were also added for linear effect production lighting. A further 12 Solo units were installed in the Concert Hall along with two Super Korrigan 1200W HMI followspots. Four more Cyrano followspots were provided for the banqueting and event space to cater for the large scale events such as international boat and motor shows for which the venue was designed.

Finally, additional fluorescent Solo units were deployed building-wide to be used as decorative linear-effect lighting.

Svetlost Teatar’s project manager, Petar Jankovic, says: "We chose Robert Juliat followspots, HMI profiles and Solo fluorescent units because there is no question about the high quality of RJ products. We added RJ Jalousie 2 shutters to the HMI luminaires in the Lyric Theatre as we had used them before in Belgrade musical theatre where we were convinced by their quiet operation, quality and robustness."

In picture: Qatar Education City Convention Centre exterior showing Sidra tree design.

Photo: Svetlost Teatar

www.robertjuliat.com

23rd August 2011

Imam Mousa Kazim Holy Shrine in Kazmein Calls Loud and Clear with Community

Tehran-based audio specialists, Farasout Negar, has recently completed the design and installation of a PA system for calling Muslims to prayer at the Imam Mousa Kazim Holy Shrine in Kazmein, Iraq.

To achieve 360-degree coverage and very high SPLs, Farasout Negar designed a system based on sixteen Community RSH-462 exponential FocusedArray horn systems. Each voice-range RSH-462 utilises four Community M200 ferrofluid-cooled compression drivers mounted to a hand laminated, reinforced composite fibreglass horn-array with a 60 degree horizontal and 20 degree vertical coverage pattern. With a sensitivity of 117dB for 1W at one metre and a 750W programme power handling capacity the RSH-462 provided the considerable SPL required.

Coverage was achieved by mounting four RSH-462 in each of the Shrine’s four minarets, at a height of 33 metres from the ground. Four Lab.gruppen C28:4 four-channel power amplifiers are used to drive the Community loudspeakers and system management is handled by an XTA DP446.

Although the loudspeakers are mounted in the minarets, they are open to the full environmental conditions of Kazmein, so their all-weather capability was another important consideration for Farasout Negar. The one-piece, non-metallic diaphragm of the RSH-462 faces forward, isolating the voice coil and magnetic structure of each driver from the environment, providing the exceptional resistance to the effects of humidity and dust needed.

Milad GhorbanNejad, commercial manager of Farasout Negar, commented: “We are very pleased with the sound levels, high intelligibility and coverage we have achieved with the RSH-462 loudspeakers and the combination of Community, Lab.gruppen and XTA has provided a system that ensures quality and long term reliability.”

11th August 2011

Sennheiser’s ADN Conference System Finds Further Success in Saudi Arabia

Sennheiser Middle East has recently supplied 16 ADN systems to Saudi Arabian AV systems integrator Electronic Special Equipment (ESE) for a single governmental project in the country’s capital of Riyadh.

The project marks the largest single sale of the German manufacturer’s flagship conference system and elevates Saudi Arabia to the position of the country with the most ADN systems in the world.

“We chose ADN for our client because we knew it would provide a true audio conference experience in a reliable system,” comments ESE’s sales manager, Khaled Makki. “ADN delivers high speech intelligibility in a modern designed unit that befits the glory and splendour of the project.”

The system comprises a total of 240 delegate units and 16 chairman units.

ADN CU-1 comes with free software that is continually updated, with the next version due in September this year.

“The new update will allow users to connect a hard drive to one of the USB ports on the central unit and use it as a hard disc recorder for recording the proceedings of a meeting or conference,” says Mig Cardamone, business area manager for Sennheiser Middle East. “September will also see us releasing the new ADN power supply for extending the capacity of users in each system. It means we can now have over 300 delegates in a single system.”

Since its debut in August 2010, ADN has garnered a positive reception from both integrators and end users. The firmware update released earlier this year saw the introduction of media control over Ethernet for camera controllers and integration into Extron/Crestron/AMX control systems.

10th August 2011

Unusual Rigging Refurbishes Theatre in Kuwait Center for Autism

The first specialist centre for autism in the Middle East, the Kuwait Center for Autism last year took the decision to refurbish its theatre, until then used solely for internal purposes, in order to host independent productions and so act as a revenue stream for the Center.

Although only five years old, the theatre had limited amenities and required a major upgrade to tempt the music, theatre, drama and conference productions, from both Kuwait and the rest of the world, that the directors hoped for.

Dubai-based Unusual Rigging & Engineering was contracted by the project’s integrators, Solutech, to design and build a grid that would provide the infrastructure for an excellent lighting system plus the drapes, borders and legs which have been supplied by ShowTex Middle East.

Although lighting existed, Leon Ingram, project manager at Unusual Rigging, realised that a completely new grid was required to provide not just for the client’s immediate requirements, but also enable the owners to continually enhance the theatre as funds became available.

Measuring 13.2m x 6.2m, the grid was designed with a frame of I beams, part ground support and part bolted into the concrete roof beams. Limited access meant that every single item for the grid needed loading in by hand — including 6m lengths of steelwork weighing up to 300kg each. And once in the flytower, limited space required careful planning of the load-in.

The seven tons of steelwork required for the grid was fabricated in Dubai and delivered to Unusual Rigging’s warehouse, where the riggers pre-built the entire grid, including the 17 12m flybars. This both highlighted corrections that were required to the steelwork before shipping to Kuwait, and also facilitated sequential numbering of each piece. This enabled Leon to plan the get-in, whereby components were loaded in reverse order to the build sequence ie, the first item to be used was the last to be loaded in.

The entire project took six months, with Unusual Rigging on site for a week to complete the installation. Although the theatre was not handed over to the client until June, an opening ceremony took place in January attended by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as leading dignitaries from the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Jamal Al Shalabi, Partner, BDM, and Thamer Salahi, General Manager of Solutech, said: "We are delighted with the work carried out by Unusual - it has surpassed all our expectations."

Photo (exterior of Center): Arthur op den Brouw

 

　

　

　

12th July 2011

Martin Professional Lights Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi

The Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi has been illuminated in spectacular fashion using Martin Professional colour changing luminaires. The bridge, which soars to a height of 60 metres and stretches 842 metres, connects mainland Dubai to the island of Abu Dhabi and acts as a gateway to the city.

Ideas for illuminating the Sheikh Zayed Bridge began over a decade ago when coloured illumination was promoted by Nour Assafiri, CEO of Martin Middle East, to the Municipality of Abu Dhabi. They liked the idea and accordingly asked the bridge’s prestigious architect Zaha Hadid to consider the concept.

Named after the country's former president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the bridge features a captivating illumination of dynamic lighting from 204 Martin Exterior 600 and 130 Martin Exterior 200 colour changing luminaires, as well as 956 Martin Cyclo 01 linear fluorescent luminaires.

The highly artistic form of the bridge consists of a linear deck with waveform spine of three main arches. The spine arches are illuminated by Martin dynamic coloured light that extends both above and below road level. Fitted in lighting cells underneath the deck of the bridge are customized Martin Cyclo fixtures for white light illumination.

A redundant lighting control system is centered around a Martin Maxxyz Compact lighting console, which was used for lighting programming, with a Martin M-PC used for control of daily lighting scenes.

Lighting scenarios of shifting coloured light smoothly flow across the bridge in a design based on two principles: it is a metaphor of energy flowing across the water, visualised by coloured light cross-fading from one shade to another while simultaneously moving along the bridge’s spine. Secondly, the lighting renders the bridge’s spine three-dimensionally at night by projecting different colours on horizontal and vertical surfaces, thus articulating the spatial structure of the bridge’s spine.

The specially developed lighting scenarios can be used to celebrate religious traditions, festivities and public events. With the new moon each month, the bridge lighting mimics the inspiring Martin night-time illumination of the landmark Grand Mosque, which sits nearby. Once a month, both iconic structures appear tinted in deep blue to create a sense of urban, and cultural, connectivity.

Rogier van der Heide, chief designer and vice president at Philips Lighting, and previous director at Hollands Licht and Arup Lighting, created the original lighting design concept for the bridge. He commented: "The lighting design of this project was incredibly complex. I had to integrate colour changing technology, dust- and waterproof equipment, a very advanced control network and special optics into a single holistic solution to realize the creative design."

Martin Professional Middle East was instrumental in executing the design and realizing the final effect, says van der Heide. The lighting design was further detailed with an international design team at Arup. The final project phases, including programming of 13 artistic scenarios, were led by Simone Collon, associate and lighting designer at Arup.

"Without the tremendous contribution of Martin Pro Middle East and High Point Rendel, this project could not have been done," van der Heide stated. "The successful finalization of this project demonstrates how important it is to collaborate, and how architectural lighting has evolved into a holistic discipline that brings together designers, manufacturers and engineers in an integrated process."

22nd June 2011

Mitsubishi Electric Installs 6-metre Diameter OLED Globe at Science Museum in Tokyo

Mitsubishi Electric has installed a six-metre diameter organic light-emitting display (OLED) globe at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, Japan. The OLED "Geo-Cosmos" display will be unveiled at the museum as the world's first large-scale spherical OLED screen on June 11.

Hanging 18 metres from the floor, the globe is an aluminium sphere covered with 10,362 OLED panels, each measuring 96 x 96 millimetres. Mitsubishi Electric used its scalable OLED technologies to create the globe, which replaces a previous globe comprised of light emitting diodes (LEDs), to commemorate the museum's 10th anniversary. The globe will display scenes of clouds and other visions of the earth taken from a meteorological satellite. The display delivers a resolution of more than 10 million pixels, about 10 times greater than that of the LED display.

In addition to Mitsubishi Electric, which created the OLED system, three other companies helped to make the OLED Geo-Cosmos display: Dentsu Inc. undertook project planning, Go and Partners, Inc. developed the image-processing and transmission system, and GK Tech Inc. created the spheroid design.

Mitsubishi Electric's Diamond Vision OLED system is the world's only scalable OLED display technology, affording the company a unique market position in the supply of non-linear display applications worldwide.

2nd June 2011

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