Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden is the Netherlands’ national research institute for biodiversity. Pharos Designer controllers were integral to realising the complexities of the innovative and interactive exhibits in this large natural history museum.
- The new museum houses multiple halls, and each exhibit space had individual designers with different requirements
- Interactive, dynamic lighting, AV and animatronic systems all needed to be integrated with show control for each exhibit and to communicate with the building management system via UDP
- The LiveScience exhibit utilises two LPC 1 and a TPS to provide lighting and synchronised sound control, as well as integration with two PTZ cameras
- An LPC 2 provides lighting control for the Earth space, another LPC 2 runs the lighting in the area designated for temporary exhibitions, and a TPC offers tuneable white lighting for the central atrium for sensitive human-centric white lighting throughout the day
- The Japanese Theatre had an LPC 1 and TPS installed for lighting and sound effects. During commissioning the set designers turned up with some animatronics that required serial commands, but came without any control solution, but Rutger van Dijk, the technical consultant and programmer for the entire Center, realised that Pharos could provide the solution, and we delivered a script to solve the seamless synchronised animatronic control required
- The Dinosaur Era exhibit includes the stunning dark ride Rexperience, which called for two Pharos controllers – an LPC 2 for the lighting requirement, and a second LPC just for managing show control with over 500 triggers with multiple conditions and actions, managing multiple rooms in the show, controlling lighting, doors, AV, and immersive experience special effects such as vibrating chairs on cue
Read more about the lighting at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in our project news story, and watch an interview with Rutger discussing this installation as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations here.
Project year: 2019
Museum-wide AV, lighting, and show control consultancy: Rutger van Dijk, SemMika
Exhibition Design: Pieter Aartsen (LiveScience, De aarde and van onschatbare waarde), Daniël Ament (Japans Theater) and Event Communications (Dinotijd)
Lighting Design: Pelle Herfst (LiveScience), Joost de Beij (De aarde and Japans Theater), Adam Grater DHA (Dinotijd), Kees van de Lagemaat (atrium) and Tim Blom (van onschatbare waarde)
Systems Integrators: Ata Tech, René Derksen
Programming: Rutger van Dijk and Erik de Wildt (LiveScience)
Photos: © Naturalis Biodiversity Center
