Discret Fachjournal der Unterhaltungsgastronomie June 1998

"Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias" - Unter diesem Titel entsteht seit dem Frühjahr eine neue Kultur- und Wissenschaftsstadt vor den Toren Valencias. Mit dem futuristischen Planetarium "Hemispheric" wurde am 16. April das erste Gebäude dieses monumentalen Komplexes eingeweiht. Zur spektakulären Eröffnungsfeier griffen die Spanier auf deutsches Know-how zurück. Die Laserspezialisten von Lobo electronic aus Aalen untermalten den Abend mit einer vom Art-Director von Lobo eigens gestalteten Lasershow.

In the presence of the highest political prominence, the opening of the impressive building was celebrated. The avantgardistic and nature-oriented architecture was designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the architect of the new radio tower in Barcelona as well as of the Expo area in Sevilla.

Like gigantic white calyxes, Calatrava placed the buildings in a park scenery dominated by water. In the nearest future about three million visitors per year will be able to meet with all facets of arts, culture and science. After being completed the area offers a "cultural palace" with more than 5.000 seats, which will be among the largest in the world. Only within a few steps a science and technology museum of nearly incredible size is being built. And if this was not enough a oceanographic museum is being developed situated in an overdimensional water basin.

The planetarium "Hemispheric", opened on 16 April, is located in the center of the park - a building of 90 m length and 50 m height. When reflected in the surrounding water it strongly reminds of an oversized eye. The eye lid can be opened and closed over its full breadth. The interior of the eye consists of an IMAX-Dome combined for the first time with the most progressive planetarium techniques.

As a symbol for the whole park, the "Hemispheric" was the first building to be inaugurated. The internationally experienced Spanish multimedia artist Albert Ripoll I Coca was entrusted with the inauguration ceremony. With the German company LOBO from Aalen and the Caballer pyrotechnique company from Valencia, Ripoll I Coca has taken on board two strong partners which are known to be very experienced in great outdoor presentations. Since Albert Ripoll I Coca wanted to inaugurate a futuristic park with futuristic technology, he designated central importance to an ingenious application of the most progressive show laser techniques. At this year's SIB fair in Rimini, where traditionally all celebrities of the laser show business assemble, the Spaniard met with the German company LOBO.

The goal was to demonstrate to the invited the VIPs, the population of Valencia and the spectators of several television stations the great architecture and the designation of the building in a futuristic spectacle. For external reasons, the whole conception and realization had to be completed in only 1 ½ weeks, conseuqently resulting in a series of night shifts for all parties involved.

On the technical side, 7 tons of fireworks, 70 kW sound equipment, 3 PANI-xenon slide projectors, 2 Barco 9020 video projectors and overall 600 kW of light for the illumination of the scenery were available. A central O.B. van allowed the audience watching television as well as the waiting present crowd to participate very realistically by means of several Jumbotron screens.

At 9 p.m. the time had come: Instead of the expected 1000 VIPs, three times as many arrived unexpectedly. In front of the park a vast crowd pressed closely together. The Spanish Prime Minister Eduardo Zaplana stood in front of the Hemispheric, applauded by the public, pressed the famous red button and sent laser beams into the sky, which - apparently reflected by the firmament - hit the center of the ball and thereby initiated the spectacle with an explosion of light and colors. Suddenly, an oversized eye drawn by laser and video awakened, looked down on the crowd until the pupil changed into a globe which directly precipitated onto Valencia and the city of arts and science.

LOBO's Art Director was more than happy with how the event went, as the Hemispheric offered an ideal backdrop for a perfect laser show: "The burlesque shape of the building was like an invitation to play with shapes and colors. One time we sketched with the laser the striking silhouette of the architecture, then we shot out of the eye lids nearly endless laser eyelashes into the sky, the other time the laser accentuated the essential parts of the video projection on the oversized eyeball."

After a classical concert of the British music genius Michael Nyman, accompanied by laser and fireworks, the monumental spectacle came to its end. Only a few laser beams skimming over the nightly firmament - to be seen in a distance up to 80 km - alluded to the magnificent inauguration ceremony.