Shanghai — As Expo 2010 Shanghai China approaches closing day, Electrosonic looks back on the extensive role it played in three popular pavilions at the international event: the China State Shipbuilding Pavilion, the Information & Communications Pavilion and the USA Pavilion. As of the end of September, Expo 2010 had welcomed close to 60 million visitors to its futuristic theme of Better City, Better Life.
Electrosonic is no stranger to international expos. From Expo 67 in Montreal to the last major Expo in 2005 in Aichi, Japan, the company’s credits stretch from Brisbane and Osaka to New Orleans and Lisbon. Electrosonic’s participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai pushes the number of projects it has completed for these fairs to over 50.
“This has been a challenging but great Expo experience for us. While faced with tight schedules, we worked hand-in-hand with our clients and demonstrated how to bring dynamic attractions to the public,” commented Chris Conte, Electrosonic’s General Manager, Systems Integration.
At the China State Shipbuilding Pavilion, Electrosonic provided audio, video and show-control systems that enable visitors to explore the role of shipping in China’s past, investigate exciting concepts for future floating cities and farms, and simulate navigation. Electrosonic was challenged to deliver multi-image and edge-blended displays onto unusual surfaces and furnish immersive interactive experiences for visitors. An additional challenge was to ensure that installed elements were easily expandable in the future since the pavilion is one of several that will continue to operate as a permanent museum and exhibit after the Expo concludes.
Among the elements Electrosonic supplied for the Shipbuilding Pavilion were fog screens that served as projection surfaces, giant media walls, a domed Aqua Nook projection system displaying the launch of a new vessel, a unique interactive aquarium gallery, glass projection tables with floating-farm ship models, a simulated ship-steering attraction, and an HD theater-in-the-round. Working directly for the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), Electrosonic will continue designing the museum expansion in 2011 with exhibit designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates.
Electrosonic was contracted by BRC Imagination Arts to design and install the audio, video and control systems for the Information & Communications Pavilion featuring multiple, large-scale projection systems, HD displays, customized show control and multi-channel audio playback systems. Presented by China Mobile and China Telecom, the pavilion is designed to give visitors a taste of future cutting-edge information and communication technologies.
At the core of Electrosonic’s brief for this venue was creating a custom 802.11 wireless network for the ICT Mobile Device, a handheld, personal communications device that accompanies each visitor on their interactive journey through the pavilion. The Medialon show-control master controller sends cues via the wireless network that allow the ICT-equipped visitors to follow in sync with all the shows. Show control knows where each visitor and their ICT Mobile Device are at any given time and plays synchronous content related to their location.
Electrosonic also provided the equipment and multi-track surround sound system for the pavilion’s pre-show as well as the Dream Big Multi-Dimensional Interactive Network Theater where the cinematic main show takes place.
For the USA Pavilion Electrosonic again worked for BRC Imagination Arts and provided system design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and show programming for the AV and control systems in the lobby, preshow and main show theater.
Specifically, Electrosonic supplied screens, projectors and video playback for the lobby’s elevated welcome displays; the preshow’s trio of huge side-by-side screens; and the main show’s five, 30-foot tall displays each with a trapezoidal or hourglass shape oriented in portrait mode and rimmed with LED light frames choreographed to the show.
Electrosonic is also providing technical maintenance and service for all three pavilions during the run of the Expo.
Images courtesy Electrosonic. From top: Shipbuilding Pavilion, Information & Communications Pavilion, USA Pavilion.
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