Professional System 01/2005
Diving into another World:
The Liquid Sound - Thermal Spas
Most Themeparks, Event-Shows and Hot Springs are arising as a business idea, inspired by the spirit of the age, orientated on trends, adjusted in detailled Marketing thoughts.
(01/2005)
In October 2004 in Bad Schandau (near Dresden) the third Thermal Spa with the "Liquid Sound"® Label opened its doors. All three „Liquid Sound-Temples" have solid business-ideas and business-plans. The difference between these Liquid Sound Thermal Spas and ordinary Thermal Spas is to be found in use of artistic and fantastic resources. Micky Remann is the name of the inventor, initiator and today's director of the concept of Liquid Sound, which he has characterised with the slogan „swim in light and music" very early. In the beginning there was the vision of listening to music while floating in the water.
Planning, technique, realisation
The philosophy of a Liquid Sound® - concept affects already the planning of a Thermal Spa Project. Right from the planning stage Micky Remann is thinking about the media-contents of this project, for example about the music-performances. This influences the selection of projectors, lighting technologies and sound components as well as their placement in the building. Multimedia-Conception and technology have a double function. In the daily handling the Thermal Spa has to work automatically. The carrier of the Thermal Spa needs no extra personal. At special events a DJ plays or a live act is performing. To realise this event concept we engage partners from time to time. Remann: „It was the first time for us to work together with the companies who have done the videotechnology, projection-technology and fragrances in the Thermal Spa Bad Schandau. Before we had a lot of wishes like that, but there was no sophisticated Idea."
Visual technology
Someone who's drifting with his ears under water in Bad Schandau, will experience two special optical attractions: an innovative system for Fog-Screens and a 360°-projection in the dome above the Liquid Sound-Pool. Both attractions were never seen before like that. According to the specific planning of Micky Remann, theNightLab from Bielefeld was responsible for both video installations. The video artist Tina Zimmerman did image-compositions of colours and moving structures, which are adjusted to the "flow" of the bathing adventure. Micky Remann: „We've already made good experiences with Tina Zimmermann at the Liquidrom in Berlin. She has a good comprehension of screen sequences, rythm and the technical realisation. She has a keen sense for the rythm and special moves of the swimming people."
The Fog-Screen can be experienced best at the big pool outside. There are three columns, every one of them six meter high. Steam comes out from the sides, the middle one cuts the projection into two projection surfaces. Combined the size is 15 meters. The right projection is symmetrically reflected by the middle column. There is the same projection on the right side like on the left side, but because the fog is always moving, because of the wind and it's changing direction, the natural and the synthetic light, the reflected projections will never be identical. If you observe these projections for a while you will see phantasmal, three-dimensional shadows and figures. It's an impressing, tranquilizing and relaxing spectacle.
Matthias Strobl, Managing Director of theNightLab: „We assisted at the production of the visual content and gave some instructions. At the technological side we had to make sure that the depth of focus of the projections is used to its full capacity, because in the depth of 3 or 4 meter, the projection should be as sharp as possible, although the water always moves." Tina Zimmerman and theNightLab worked out guidelines which are acceptable in an asthetic way and able to be projected under these special conditions. You can't show fast sequences like a football-game, only slow sequences are apropriate. „You always have to keep the fog's movings in mind" states Matthias Strobl „with slow and superior motives you can achieve a very interisting effect, because the synchronous changing of the images and the changing of the fog due to the wind complement influence one another in a way, that the guests never get to see the same sequence twice."
„We knew the basics of atomized spray." But the challenge was: Because of the asthetics Micky Remann wished a vertical steam from the three steles and not in the usual way, falling down like a curtain from the traverse." The gravitation works against a homogeneous curtain. The solution was a right dimensioned gland and a special-pump, which achieves a compression of 150 bar. „The result is a closed area of projection" says Andreas Korth, Flash Art. Outside the two projectors had to be placed for a undisturbed continuous operation. That means: protection against vandalism and thievery but also integration in an optical and asthetic way. At the moment there are no boxes for the projectors for outside on the Market. So a bit of development was nessecary. Now, the lockable cases of solid steel (with a heavyness of 80 kg) stand on a slightly seceding lawn, the light will not blind guests in the pool outside.
360°-Projections
The 360°-Projections at the dome above the pool were a special challenge for the experts of theNightLab. The dome has a diameter of 11 meter. But it's form is not like a usual dome, on the top of the cupple there's yet another. Between the shell of the cupple and the roof there was enough space to place two projectors. The lenses of the projectors point towards the inside of the dome, where two little loops were teared in. The space between the cupple and the shell of the roof had to be isolated, that the steam of the brine doesn't attack the electronics. Boxes were built, which are permanently dehumidified and air-conditioned. Cause of the afferenting steam of the saline water and the temperature of 36° celcius the projectors were placed outside the dome. To live up the whole dome with a projection from a horizontal way, was a big problem. „We looked around on the market of optics" remembers Matthias Strobl from theNightLab in Bielefeld, „and the solution was the special objective with special angle of reflected beam. The Producing Company helped us a lot and supported us during the test stage." The two projectors had a division of work: One does the background, the other one is making more detailed and moved motives. Here as well content-guidelines were created. Matthias Strobl: In aspect of the well-feeling of the guests, we recognized again, that fast animation is not qualified for a wellness-thermal spa. You get dizzy and your eyes can't relax. You need slow moves and distinguishable forms."
During the daily handling the two projectors are switched off periodically, so that the LED-Illumination of the room will be accented. theNightLab did the special LED-Illumination. Overall Tina Zimmermann provided video material of about 40 hours for the Spray-Screen and the Dome. Different daily-programs are used: on monday there are different images than on wednesday. Every three months the videos are changed. „For a short time there were little problems with the adjustment and synchronisation of the films" Matthias strobl says. „We had to do a few extra night sessions, but finally everything functioned perfectly."
And Obviously: Wellness
Next to the Liquid Sound-adventure all typical wellness-applications were featured as a supporting programme. Some massages, Thalasso- and Beauty-therapy, promising cosset-cure like "Magic Honey" or the "chocolate care" .
An "After-Work-relax-package-deal" (35 Euro) including more than 4 hours "bathing in light and music", sauna, one shoulder-neck-massage, one mediterane slight fare with one drink. This package-deal is availible in Bad Sulza, Berlin and Bad Schandau. If you are at home after this relaxing adventure at the thermal spa in Bad Sulza, you'll look back to the architecturally impressive Spa with it's big cupple of glass. And perhaps the guests had a glance at the insignia next to the entry. At this insignia the motto is written "Dedicated to the artwork human being."