Oracle Attractions has been awarded the 2011 ILDA Artistic Award for Innovative Application from a highly competitive international field in Moscow last week.
Oracle Attractions created a world-first with its architectural laser lighting effects at the opening of Melbourne’s AAMI Stadium. The award recognised Oracle’s ground breaking achievement in using lasers to achieve a scale of effect that had never previously been attempted.
The $270 million stadium became the sparkling new jewel in Melbourne’s sporting crown when it opened in front of a sell-out crowd of 30,000 fans for an Australia vs New Zealand rugby league test.
As spectators approached the stadium, they were treated to a show of laser effects weaving intricate outlines through the geometric patterns that form the iconic building’s roof.
Director of Oracle Attractions, Glenn Turner, described the project as the most intricate and most challenging feat of laser work in his 20 year career.
Oracle received the award for its architectural laser lighting effects at the Opening of Melbourne’s AAMI Stadium.
“We began with carrying the rig of 27 lasers, individually in backpacks, high onto locations such as nearby microwave towers and the stadium lighting pylons, whichsoar 40m into the air,” said Turner.
“These were all connected by a network of cable, fibre optics and microwave technology. We then returned to each laser and individually traced every shape on the stadium’s intricate roof mostly in the early hours of the morning, on a freezing night, with the wind howling around your ears 40m up!”
With all the systems integrated, Oracle presented one complete, moving animation across the entire roof structure creating a display of shifting and changing geometry.
“We were looking for a way of highlighting and demonstrating the remarkable nature of the stadium roof, and lasers gave the flexibility and capacity to achieve a truly unique look,” said Keith Tucker, director of Megafun, the creative team behind the stadium opening event.
“Glenn and the team at Oracle Attractions were able to understand what we were after and delivered an outcome that was both spectacular and memorable.”
The ILDA Awards are the international laser display industry’s ‘Oscars’, making the win a unique honour for an Australian company.
In presenting the award, Timothy Walsh, president of ILDA, said that Oracle Attractions was chosen from 120 entries worldwide.
“To receive a First Place award in such a competitive category indicates an especially noteworthy achievement,” said Walsh.
Oracle Attractions has produced cutting-edge visual effects shows for some of Australia’s iconic events, including Brisbane’s River Fire and Sydney’s Australia Day at Darling Harbour and has also installed a spectacular water park show in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate Malaysia’s 50th anniversary.
