Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands first opened its gates to the public on 18th June 1932. Today, it’s a modern zoo that has a strong focus on the conservation of animals and nature and aims to educate visitors about these important topics. Recently, the audiovisual installation at the sea lion theatre underwent a major redevelopment with STS Productions, specialists in light, sound and image, playing a major role, along with Lightworx.
The brief for the new audiovisual installation included new lighting, flexible show control, easy operation and a system suitable for business meetings. STS Productions, the technical producer for the project, started by repositioning the existing lighting to illuminate the water, with new lighting installed to light up the stands, the stage and the edges around the pool. Two 20-metre long trusses were hung above the stands on both sides with each one holding six Showtec Performer 1500 Fresnel Q6, six Showtec Performer Profile 600 MKIII and four Showtec Performer Pendant 150 Q6. Each fixture operates silently and has a high CRI for accurate colour rendering. The Fresnels project a bright, soft field of light and each one was fitted with a barndoor to shape the beam as required. Eight of the Performers were fitted with a zoom lens, while the other four had a fixed lens attached. The pendant lights were also fitted with a lens, giving them a wider beam angle. Thirty-four 50 mm Fast Couplers and eight 50 mm Compact Swivel Couplers by Showgear were used to securely fasten the fixtures to the trusses with eight Showgear Powerport 4s providing power.
To fulfill the project’s other requirements, STS Productions collaborated with Lightworx to install a control system that is flexible and easy to operate. It not only allows the staff at Ouwehands Zoo to operate everything during the sea lion show, but also allows external parties to control audiovisual material during business events.
With the new system in place, the sea lion theatre at Ouwehands Zoo is able to put on a spectacular show, while external parties now have a unique venue where business meetings can be held.
