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Robust Robe Chosen for Winter Olympics
Lighting designer Durham Marenghi is using 250 Robe ColorWash 1200 ATs in Torino’s Stadio Olympico for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics and the opening of the Paralympics.
One-hundred-and-thirty of the fixtures are rigged in a ‘technical trough’ running all around the perimeter of the 200 x 60 metre performance/parade area on the floor of the stadium, sitting at approximately 1.5 metres off the ground.
The same trough arrangement continues around a large ‘tongue’ platform protruding from the front of the stage that’s used as the main performance area. These fixtures are used to throw wide angle light all around the stadium on up into the audience, including onto a five-ringed (trussing) performance structure at the opposite end to the stage. This rose up from the ground during the show, representing the Olympic rings and featuring acrobats, aerial artists and various performers during the two and half hour opening extravaganza.
A further 80 Robe fixtures are rigged in the stage roof - overhead across four trusses - used for lighting performers and for general stage effects. Another 20 ColorWash 1200s are placed on a truss over the top of the five-ring structure, down-lighting its performers.
Legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti was onstage for the opening ceremony, which also included a eulogy for peace by Yoko Ono. The high energy show incorporated the athletes parade in a colourful, spectacular blaze of lighting, plus pyrotechnic effects designed by the renowned Christophe Berthonneau and Groupe F. It was watched live by a capacity crowd of 35,000 and an estimated worldwide TV audience of 2.5 billion.
Marenghi and the event’s scenic/production designer Mark Fisher were initially approached to create a high impact visual scheme for the opening and closing Torino shows at the end of 2002 by Filmmaster who then formed production company K2006 to co-ordinate all the event’s technical and production aspects.
The majority of the Robe fixtures were supplied by L’Aquilla based lighting company Agora, a main lighting contractor for the opening/closing events, with Robe Italia co-ordinating the sourcing of additional fixtures.
Marenghi’s team of programmers includes Ross Williams, Pryderi Baskerville, Emiliano Morgia and Mark Payne, with his company Lumitect also employing lighting managers Eneas Mackintosh, Nick Jones and David Bartlett, PA Jennie Marenghi and HDTV consultant Chris Bretnall. The shows are operated via four WholeHog 3 consoles from High End Systems.
21st February 2006
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