CONTACT
Kristen Mathias, Marketing Director, Theatre Projects Consultants
T +1 203 307-2948 kmathias@theatreprojects.com
James Casciato, Marketing Coordinator, Theatre Projects Consultants
T + 1 203 307 2957 jcasciato@theatreprojects.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2015
Working across cultures and time zones, Theatre Projects completes
Han Show Theater
NORWALK, CT
The Han Show Theater in Wuhan, Hubei is the most ambitious theatre ever
undertaken by Theatre Projects and the most spectacular performance space in all of
China. It's a purpose-built 2,000-seat theatre which is home to an equally ambitious
water spectacular, the Han Show, which premiered on December 20, 2014.
The grand opening marked the culmination of four years of design and
construction—a remarkably short span especially given the complexity of the project.
The awe-inspiring water spectacle and iconic venue anchor one end of the new milelong Han Street retail, dining, and business district, and together will be the linchpin
in the transformation of the central China city of Wuhan into an international cultural
destination.
Working for the Wanda Cultural Tourism Planning & Research Institute Co., Ltd.,
Theatre Projects provided full theatre consulting services including theatre planning,
auditorium and stage design concepts and geometry, and design and specification of
the theatre equipment and its infrastructure. This included a vast array of nonconventional specialized equipment required for an extraordinarily complex water
show. Theatre Projects also provided on-site project management for our scope
throughout design and construction.
Theatre Projects collaborated closely with the late Mark Fisher on the Han Show
Theater, which was his last theatre before his untimely passing in 2013. Architect,
visionary, and founder of Stufish Entertainment Architects, Fisher is well known as
the stage designer of spectacular rock shows for bands like the Rolling Stones, Pink
Floyd, and U2. Theatre Projects worked closely with the Stufish team in developing
the geometry of the stage and auditorium and also some of the larger stage machinery
elements.
Theatre Projects also worked closely with Franco Dragone, show producer and
director, and his team of designers at Franco Dragone Entertainment Group (FDEG)
to bring his visions to life. FDEG’s subject matter experts provided initial criteria for
theatrical specialized equipment (TSE), and Theatre Projects developed those
concepts into biddable drawings and specifications for the TSE and related
infrastructure. The Han Show Theater was Theatre Projects’ second collaboration with
FDEG, following The House of Dancing Water Theater at Melco’s City of Dreams
Resort in Macau.
Jules Lauve, Theatre Projects’ project director, said, "We always design from the
inside out, ensuring the theatre works well for its intended purpose. Working closely
with the client and rest of the design team we plan the space, define the geometry,
then design and specify the equipment and infrastructure. On the Han Show Theater
we had the opportunity to collaborate with a phenomenal architect and innovator
who brought exciting ideas to the table, pushed envelopes, and broke boundaries. We
also enjoyed working with an incredible producer/director whose imagination goes
far beyond the normal limits of production and truly into the spectacular. In the
process, we succeeded enormously in delivering a large-scale project that still retains
the intimacy and audience-artist relationship that are hallmarks of Theatre Projects."
The scale of the cylindrical Han Show Theater is truly gargantuan. It measures over
100 meters high from basement to roof and over 100 meters in diameter. Beyond the
conventional, over-scale TSE systems and unique special effects, notable mechanical
systems include:
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Performance basin: The main performance area is an 8.2 meters deep
performance basin which holds over 10 million liters of water.
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Moving seats: During the performance -- and while the audience is seated -the seating reconfigures to reveal the performance basin and to change from
end-stage to thrust. The orchestra level seating splits along centerline and those
two swing seat platforms pivot to reveal the performance basin downstage of
the dry stage. The balcony then lowers into place between the swing seats to
complete a thrust configuration with all seats at the same level around the
performance basin and just above water level.
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Lifts: There are two large dry lifts in the stage and 11 wet lifts in the
performance basin—four central lifts, three apron lifts, and four vomitory lifts.
Under individual control the wet lifts can rise above water level to create a dry
thrust stage or can lower to the bottom of the basin for access to scenic
elements stored in several underwater garages.
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Robot arms and LED screens: Three large mechanized, articulated robot arms
are mounted to the back wall of the stagehouse, each of which ends in a
pivoting high-definition LED screen measuring 7 meters x 11 meters.
The ambitious demands of the Han Show production required Theatre Projects to take
on a number of unique challenges in terms of theatre equipment, rigging, seating,
lighting and more.
"We brought our world-wide team’s understanding of traditional disciplines to all of
the non-conventional aspects of the project including pool technology, aquatics, fall
protection, cathodic protection, the waterproofing of concrete hydraulic structures,
moving seats, robot arms, large format high-definition LED screens, and all the
special effects," Lauve said.
Working with FDEG’s subject matter experts and their initial criteria for performance
requirements, Theatre Projects also designed and specified the equipment and
infrastructure for the show’s numerous special effects including low-lying fog, a
number of atmospheric effects, and a range of underwater air effects.
Dawn Chiang, Theatre Projects' US project manager, working in tandem with Theatre
Projects site project managers Chris Plunkett and Tora La Rosa in Wuhan, said "We
worked closely with engineers, specialists, and project managers across three
continents, two languages, and multiple time zones to help coordinate the project on a
daily basis. This complex, one-of-a-kind, purpose-built venue demanded a high level
of attention to detail throughout every phase of design and construction. The Han
Show Theater is now home to a show which is certain to entertain and thrill audiences,
and the venue provides the city of Wuhan with an unmistakable symbol of its cultural
ascendance."
Michael Nishball, Theatre Projects’ lead theatre equipment designer said “Our
technical services included not only TSE and highly customized special effects
systems and pool engineering systems but also the fully integrated roof steel, grid
iron, catwalk and under-stage/under-water civil works to support the equipment. Of
note is the significant effort by the entire international Theatre Projects team to review
and process thousands of submittals and RFIs over an 18 month construction period.
The design, specification, and site acceptance testing of the major theatre specialty
equipment were managed between our Connecticut office and a site office that was 12
time zones away. To say we were on the job 24/7 is not an exaggeration. Theatre
Projects was committed to making Mark Fisher’s and Franco Dragone’s concepts a
reality.”
The coordination of so many technical design elements necessary to design and build
this ambitious venue is mirrored in the complex choreography of the artists, scenery,
and equipment onstage in the Han Show itself. Across cultures and disciplines,
Theatre Projects worked tirelessly to create a theatre and theatre systems unlike any
seen before. Ultimately, the Han Show Theater is a world class, state-of-the-art venue
that is a testament to that nuanced and challenging process.
Theatre Projects' team
Project management
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Jules Lauve: Project director
Dawn Chiang: Project manager, US
Chris Plunkett: Project manager, Wuhan
Tora La Rosa and Stephen Morgan: Associate project managers, Wuhan
Chloe Gao: Assistant project manager and interpreter, Wuhan
Donald P. MacLean: Project manager design phase, Beijing
Theatre design
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Brian Hall: Theatre designer
John Runia: Theatre designer, sightlines and seating layouts
Theatre specialized equipment (TSE) and infrastructure design and specification
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Michael Nishball: Stage machinery including lifts, power flying, manual
counterweight rigging, automation control, moving seats and robot arms for
LED screens
Jason Osterman: Performance lighting including power, dimming, control, and
fixtures; air effects infrastructure
Richard Borkum, John Riddell : Performance sound, video, and
communications
Mark Ryan: Projection and LED screen
Specialty sub-consultants for TSE, special effects, and related infrastructure
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Jaffe Holden (Mark Holden, Jonathan Hopkins): Acoustic design, modeling,
and measuring
STO Design (Desmond Stevens, Peter Fu): Performance basin water equipment
and infrastructure including purification system, filters, circulation pumps,
dry-based water jet effects pumps and infrastructure
Sandman Associates International (Mike Sandman, Fred Pisciotta):
Performance basin geometry, water special effects and air effects equipment,
infrastructure and control
MarkusMauretteFX (Markus Maurette): Water effects and air effects
equipment, infrastructure and control
The Doyle Street Group (Bob Bauer): Flame special effects equipment and
infrastructure (not commissioned at opening)
M.G. McLaren Engineering (Bill Gorlin, Matthew Saide):Structural engineering
including grid, robot arms and moving seats
DiveSafe (Mauricio DeFendi, Christina DeFendi): Aquatics including fixed and
self-contained underwater breathing apparatus equipment and infrastructure,
aqua coulisse, hand-rails and underwater way-finding lighting
J.T. Tomlinson: Stage machinery and hydraulic systems review
Galvotec (Dave Johnson, Ben Carpenter, H.C. Feng): Cathodic protection and
corrosion control preliminary design and document review
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Notes for Editors:
Theatre Projects is an international team of theatre designers and planners creating extraordinary
performance spaces around the world. For over 55 years Theatre Projects has provided creative design
solutions and technical innovation and expertise to more than 1,200 projects in over 70 countries. Theatre
Projects provides strategic planning, theatre planning and design, and theatre equipment design and
specification. The Theatre Projects team is based in Connecticut, London, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. For
more information please visit theatreprojects.com.
The press release is available for download in the Theatre Projects Media Room.
Please contact us directly for images.