Pacha Ibiza is a brand that commands respect. This world-renowned club recently underwent a complete refurbishment, and we were honoured to be commissioned to design and install a new kinetic video rig. Our team worked tirelessly to create a one-of-a-kind system that can be used as a backdrop, canopy, or video light show. The end result is an amazing piece of engineering that has already turned heads on the island.
The Pacha Ibiza Brief
Keeping up with the latest technologies and production demands of a modern, top-end nightlife venue meant Pacha needed to reimagine its space. Architect, Tibor Martins vision was that the new technology had to be something that was eye-catching and that no one had seen in a club before. Maintaining the traditional house structure was also really important, so the brief was to create a kinetic video ring that would help create movement, allowing the DJs to deliver their bespoke content, and make Pacha Ibiza a unique experience every time for clubgoers.
Frank Murray from Audiotek explains, ” the brief was to produce something spectacular that was very versatile, expandable, and shrinkable to be able to accommodate the various sizes of shows and club nights that are held inside Pacha throughout the season and beyond. The rig needed to be able to change yet still be fully operational whether for a 3,500-capacity headline show or an 800-capacity club night during off-season. Even when the club is in its smaller configuration, it needed to retain that intimate feel and have the ability to adapt to various disparate productions and stage settings, meshing with a range of artists and set designs.”
The Kinetic Video Rig Design Process and Specifications
Pacha Ibiza offers guests a fully immersive experience – from the main floor, VIP areas, the intricate side areas, and balconies. Therefore, it was decided that a hexagonal tile design would allow the kinetic video rig to add a higher number of video cells allowing for the greatest flexibility.
Armed with a detailed brief from Pacha and a clear vision of what we wanted the new video rig to encompass, we bought together, under our control and guidance renowned suppliers and manufacturers to ensure the end result was exactly what we had envisaged. We worked closely with Lucid Creates to develop the ground-breaking kinetic video rig. The end result is a fully motorised ceiling display, comprising of 37, 1.8m wide hexagonal LED shapes held in an aluminium frame and surrounded by high-powered LED strips. The hexagons are mapped as one giant moveable canvas and each hexagon is suspended on four bespoke Wahlberg Motion Design Winch 25 DMX-controlled winches, enabling the rig to be moved in every direction and positioned at any level and angle.
Under our direction, we commissioned Wahlberg Motion Design to customise the 148 DMX controlled motors to be able to perform the intricate movements required. The positioning had to be millimetre precise and the control, versatile and smooth. Both of these factors were crucial for the functionality of the rig. Cable movement was also an essential component for the rig, and we achieved this by using custom Stage Ninja retractable cable reels. These reels ensure the cable stability and tension whatever the position, on the individual rigs.
We then populated each hexagon with custom-manufactured Taylor LED 3.9mm LEDs which are renowned for displaying high-definition video, as well as being surrounded by a high-powered LED pixel-addressable Halo, which was made from 24V LED tape, and controlled by a Madrix system to allow fully configurable LED colour and movement, which can also be used independently from the LED panels.
Fabrication and Installation of the Kinetic Video Rig
We commissioned the hexagonal ceiling rig to be fabricated at the Lucid Creates, Kent workshop. Then our experienced team worked with and instructed Fluge, under our control and guidance to carry out the installation and the task of bringing the rig to life. This required the use of additional trusses, and controlled winches to ensure the multi-directional movement of the rig was achieved.
The Final Result is Spectacular!
Transporting our design vision into reality was an amazing journey. The end result is a one-of-a-kind kinetic video rig that will blow your mind! The rig looks sensational and provides the flexible visual asset Pacha Ibiza needed to help create an immersive environment for their guests. The project combined the best A/V manufacturers and technical and creative minds from around the world. It was an honour to be involved in the Pacha Ibiza refurbishment project and we are extremely happy with how it turned out and know that the kinetic rig will be enjoyed by clubgoers for years to come.
If you want to learn more about our work, then contact us via our website or give us a call. We would be more than happy to chat with you about your own project.
