Seaworld

The latest SeaWorld Entertainment marine life theme park opened in Yas Is land, Abu Dhabi earlier this year and ShowTex played a pivotal role in elevating the visitor experience across the park’s eight immersive realms, seamlessly integrating various fabric solutions and cuttingedge technologies.

The collaboration between ShowTex and SeaWorld created an immersive, aquatic dreamscape that demonstrates the excellence of contemporary interactive art with a total of 18,000 sqm of seamless printed fabrics used across the venue. The under-the-sea journey begins with ShowTex’s extra-wide printed cycloramas dressing up the venue’s distinctive realms, with the custom prints wide enough to surround each area, ensuring visitors are immersed from all sides. 
The fabric created for this project was the result of multiple tests across several months by the ShowTex team, which saw the creation of a modified iteration of an existing material known as ShowTex RP Off-White.


“This material, due to its seamlessness, granted us the flexibility and robustness necessary for a successful installation,” said David Flesch, Sales Manager of ShowTex Middle East. An additional success was found that the PVC print fabric stayed in shape inside the humid atmosphere of the venue, meaning the material was suitable for the permanent installation. Throughout the venue, these printed artworks are backlit by 200,000 pixel-controlled LED lights, mounted on a waterproof netting. “When the fabrics were combined with our specialty designed ShowLED Hybrid RGBW LEDs, we were able to craft breath-taking visual effects, such as day/night effects, the passage of clouds, and twinkling stars,” said Flesch. “All of this was made achievable due to the LEDs. which were custom developed exclusively for this project.”


Committed to creating exciting immersion, stretch fabric 3D-structures, shaped as oceanic creatures and plants, were also implemented. With this combination of the ShowTex stretch fabrics, lighting, and fibre optics, visitors can experience realistic sea exploration settings when walking through colourful coral and ornate jellyfish decorations in the park. 
“Working with large installations such as this with contemporary light technology involves a great deal of trusses and cabling that can often undermine the visitor’s immersive experience,” said Flesch. “However, audience detachment from the outside was avoided by applying 5000 sqm of black ShowTex fabrics appropriately, masking technical installation materials and blocking out protruding ambient light.”

An additional challenge faced in installation was one of coordination, as Flesch explained: ‘The cyclorama wall we were working on intersected with numerous elements within the theme park, necessitating a careful evaluation of which sections to fabricate, and which areas we could feasibly access for installation at any given moment. “For this project, a delicate balance was struck among various stakeholders, including our client, the end client, construction consultants, design consultants, and other subcontractors,” Flesch added. “And overcoming this obstacle required a strong commitment to open communication, transparency, and adaptability.”

Describing the result of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and ShowTex’s collaboration, Flesch said: “I am delighted with the project’s overall results. But what truly fills me with satisfaction, 
and what will leave an impression, is the unwavering dedication of every single member of ShowTex Middle east. lt is important to bear in mind that ShowTex Middle East is not a massive company, and every facet of our project was crafted right here in the UAE.”


Sven Peeters, Managing Partner of ShowTex Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia concluded: “This is the first project of its kind to achieve this scale, and it was a significant challenge, but the result is incredible. Creating several 18m by 300m visually seamless video backlit prints has never been done before, and we absolutely nailed it.”

Source: Mondo DR

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