Multimedia moments and magic on the high seas
PROJEKT · May 27th, 2021
Photos/Video: Sebastian Kirsch
Those who choose to travel by sea know about the special moments: wonderful light, wonderful air and simply good relaxation, from which we draw strength long after the journey. All positive attributes, which are increased once again with Odyssey of the Seas.
It is one of five Royal Caribbean Quantum Class ships, which is simply in a class of its own. That’s because the spectacular architecture allows for wonderful views: Whether with imaginative culinary delights, special recreation concepts or advanced entertainment, traveling reaches a new dimension. tennagels Media technology is particularly proud of Royal Caribbean International, which, as always, realized a grandiose project.
LED it be customized
As we did on Spectrum of the Seas, we were able to bring all of our expertise to bear on Odyssey of the Seas and co-design extraordinary eye-catchers and experiences – with advanced custom LED installation developed and installed specifically for these cruise ships.
The Main Dining Room extends over two levels in both cruise ships and offers space for many guests. Passengers have access to this opulent dining room via two decks through a virtual portico, each 16-meters-long, which is adapted to themes and moods by means of different video animations. This very special effect is created on the LED walls of the CurveLED Flex P 1.95 product line from tennagels, which are specially made for these corridors. The special feature is on the one hand the coating, which provides scratch protection, offers a wipeable surface and enables the hygiene requirements on cruise ships as well as in public areas. On the other hand, the material is flexible because it is inherently pliable and can therefore be adapted to any architecture, as is the case in the Main Dining Room of the Odyssey of the Seas. The CurveLED Flex modules, which are curved both concavely and convexly, have a pixel pitch of 1.95 mm and a luminance of 700 nits for the changing video content. The agency “International Corporate Art” purchased this creative content, which was created by the artist “NIIO art for a digital age”.
Per deck, the LED Walls on the left and right sides of the aisle consist of 4.75-meter-long straight and 11.5-meter curved LED panels with a height of more than two meters. The straight walls of this installation offer a resolution of 2,432×1,088 pixels, while the curved ones offer a resolution of 5,888×1,216 pixels. All LED cabinets are mounted on a custom-made substructure each.
On two decks of the main dining room, two additional curved LED walls in the lounge corners at the opposite end of the hall put guests in a very special mood. The identical screens have a width of 7 meters, a height of one meter and a resolution of 3,584×512 pixels. The total of 163 square meters of LED surfaces in the entrance areas and the two walls in the lounge corners are specially coated and washable. In the Seaplex, the LED wall is 6-meters-long and 3,5-meters-wide, and has a resolution of 1,536×896 pixels.
Five ocean liners, one spectacular architecture
Odyssey of the Seas is one of five Royal Caribbean International Quantum Class ships . And at just under 348 meters, the cruise ship is in a class of its own. With large glazed areas at the stern, for example, offering a 270-degree view. In addition, the Quantum Class ships are so-called smartships, which are online around the clock thanks to their own satellite. And they come up trumps with the North Star on a glass gondola that hangs from an extendable and swiveling arm and from which you can let your gaze wander into the distance from a height of up to 90 meters. There is also a skydiving simulator and a multi-level entertainment area. Glamorous construction with our multimedia technology, the LED screens in the Main Dining Room and in the Seaplex.
The corona effect in the construction phase
The biggest challenge was the logistics of this project. As a result, the long and complex construction process of the ship stretched over one and a half years. Of that, 6 months alone was preparation and 12 months of that was installation. Of course, Corona played a big role and the delays and quarantine regulations that came with it. But at the end of the day, we can be proud of the entire tennagels team, who proved to be resilient and solution-oriented. What we enjoyed? The coordination of the project with many other companies and trades (shipbuilding, steel construction, interior design companies, electrical engineering, architects, media production) and just this unique environment as well as its dimension. We were all very inspired and motivated to deliver special results.
Special LED installations like this show the special impact they have on the architecture or the mood of the viewer. Certainly every project is different in the solution and it always needs a personal consultation. If you find yourself here, then it’s time to get to know us.
LED’s showtime: the next canoe championship can come
PROJECT · May 20th, 2021
Since its inauguration in 1935, Duisburg’s regatta course has enjoyed an international reputation among canoeists and rowers. The German national team trains here for the Olympic Games and international competitions, such as the most recent 2013 Canoe Racing World Championship, are held here. Therefore, the technical background for the transmission of such magnitudes is particularly important and require absolute dedication and detail work, which tennagels has completed with special commitment.
Broadcast in new LED quality
As is well known, the Regattabahn Duisburg is the competition course for canoeing and rowing. It is 2180 m long and 120 m wide and is located in the Duisburg Sports Park in the south of the Neudorf district of Duisburg. The sports park is considered the largest of its kind in Germany. In addition to the grandstand, which seats 2,292, there are also additional grandstands that are erected during major events. A total of 8,000 spectators can watch the regattas from the standing stands and the windbreak. Again and again, areas are redesigned as well as the infrastructure is worked on. For the broadcasting technology, tennagels has been commissioned by the city of Duisburg to install a new LED wall, based on the plans of hmpartner, the specialist planners for audiovisual technology.
Maybe it is not visible at first sight, but many steps have been taken to bring the visibility and the technology in the background to a successful conclusion. Compared to the previous model, the new LED wall is state of the art. As a result, the high energy efficiency is given as well as the transmission quality is improved. Thanks to the selection of SMD LED, the viewing angle for the spectators is very good and almost 180°. So the spectators can still follow the exciting sports events and benefit from the better LED quality. The LED wall itself is 12.48 m wide and 6.72 m high and has a pixel pitch of 10 mm.
tennagels develops LED future technology with great enthusiasm and special motivation. There, individual and creative work is just as important as dealing with standard solutions for LED screens indoor and outdoor. Our LED visions are suitable for large soccer stadiums, but also for smaller sports and event venues.
Our team of multidisciplinary talent develops, constructs and manages each project in a process-oriented and progressive manner. If our thinking excites you, it’s time for joint projects:
360° Visiodrome, 360° Emotion: Dreaming with open eyes
PROJECT · June 7th 2021
Video: Visiodrom
Photos: © Ralf Silberkuhl
Landmark and industrial monument, the Visiodrom in the Gaskessel is unique and, as the highest publicly accessible building in the city, it now shines as an integral part of the Wuppertal skyline.
There are no international role models for this unique building – whether in terms of architecture, use or function. That is why tennagels is very proud of the cooperation with the Viosiodrom team and all future projects.
Preserving the old and creating the new
This is also what the gas boiler stands for today. It makes it a symbol of development, departure and renewal – for its neighborhood, its city and far beyond. The Gaskessel is home to the world’s first Visiodrome. It is an unprecedented place where we can give complete free rein to our thoughts, ideas and visions, and also where these become visible down to the smallest detail. It is not without reason that the architecture studio GKM was awarded the Architecture Prize in 2020 by the BDA. Anyone who wants to watch the video of the entire construction project should take it. It is really special what has been achieved here. tennagels is very proud to provide important experience and technical support with their media technology, so that dreaming with open eyes is still possible.
Dreamlike technology by tennagels
Behind the exhilarating visual work, of course, is a lot of technology. Because in taking over the inventory systems, tennagels met the challenge of organizing the sheer volume of 29 projectors and setting them up so that the transitions from projectors to each other were invisible to the audience. Three projectors were added to integrate the central cube into the immersive show. In addition, the climate control housing of the projectors was manufactured in-house at tennagels.
Furthermore, the audio system has been extended and the hardware of the feed system has been upgraded. In fact, the entire system has been rebuilt based on the “Vertex” software from Ioversal. Monitors have also been installed in the building to display information about the show that is to follow. In addition, the feed system was set up to create a user interface so that the client could operate it and add content without our assistance. In conclusion, this project was challenging because of its environment and unique dimension.
Photos: © Ralf Silberkuhl
Shows with state-of-the-art projection and animation technology
Whether art, culture, natural science or entertainment, with this special kind of media technology, content is brought closer to the audience in a playful way. Works of art of classical masters are staged in a new way, pictures are shown in breathtaking size and richness of detail as well as brought to life with videos and animations. Music and sound effects underscore the show. On this basis, visionaries can express themselves in an oversized and visually powerful way and emotionally present their ideas and thoughts for the future to a broad public, make them comprehensible and thus open up new target groups. tennagels creates progressive visions for media technology – no matter what size or scope. That’s why this project was particularly inspiring and enriching for our own project experience.
For all those who want to share the same visions with us, it’s time for joint projects: