RIVER OF LIGHT

10 November 2014

Laser show specialist Oracle Attractions has been selected as a finalist in the Best Achievement category of the Australian Event Awards for its contribution to Brisbane’s skyline spectacular, the Santos GLNG City Of Lights.

Centrepiece of the show was a giant cascading water screen with a projection surface of some 1120sqm, which the company says sets a new record for a falling water screen (the previous record was claimed by South Korea’s Big O Show with a projection surface of 800sqm). Oracle’s screen delivered more than eight tons of water per minute in the form of a finely tuned curtain of water drops as the canvas for the laser projection.

Engineering challenges included complex R&D into flow dynamics and nozzle technology, as well as the design of assembly and rigging systems, and building a remote wireless control system. Adding another layer of complexity, the screen had to be used interactively with performers, and the entire system needed to be floated on the Brisbane River so all the assembly and operation had to take place on a barge. The screen, although made in lightweight alloy segments, still weighed more than two tons. Pumps used to drive the system, weighing more than 600kg each and pushing up to 3000 litres per minute, needed to achieve the right pressure to ensure water was spread evenly across the nozzles to create a successful projection surface.

Melbourne dance collective Strange Fruit

Accurate modelling, testing and careful engineering were critical to the process to ensure safety, practicality and successful function. The rigging design, for example, included a shock absorption system to eliminate harmonic waves that might arise as the 40m screen swayed in strong winds. The screen was assembled and lifted in stages, so rigging and water systems could be tested before it was finally craned into position.

Oracle also supplied the skyline laser show mounted on five of the city’s skyscrapers for the event, as well as multiple fountain systems including moving-head animated fountains not previously seen in Australia.

Held in September, the Santos GLNG City Of Lights opened the annual three-week Brisbane Festival and attracted a record crowd of more than 440,000 visitors.

Source: media releases