City of Dreams, Macau

'The House of Dancing Water' show at the City of Dreams theatre in Macau was planned for extravagance with more than $250,000,000 being invested into the production of this show. The show would be performed in a purpose built 270 degree 'in the round' theatre surrounding the world's largest commercial pool which is over 48.7 metres in diameter and 8 metres deep holding more than 3.7 million gallons of water and larger than five Olympic sized swimming pools.

Working with famed entertainment production specialists Franco Dragone Entertainment Group Hoist UK commissioned, supplied and installed a motor and control system package with 38 Stagemaker electric chain hoists each fitted with a secondary brakes and encoders. The hoists were controlled by a 'Raynok' motion control system from Niscon Inc, using their fixed speed programmable CH800 controllers linked together with a main / backup computer housed in one of the CH800 flight cases.

computer housed in one of the CH800 flight cases.

We also provided two motorised performer platforms on different grid levels of the theatre to allow the performers to be tracked out into the void above the main stage / pool, so they can be connected to winches and access scenic elements, such as the Human Chandelier, so they can be lowered in on cue. The design of the tracking system was particularly out of the ordinary as the platforms had to be certified for man riding and each of the platforms measured 5.7 metres by 4.3 metres and had to track out at a height of 36 metres above the pool with up to twenty performers on board. The platforms each ran in 30 metres of longitudinal tracking beam manufactured from a lightweight aluminium alloy with longitudinal motion provided by two variable speed electric trolley units for a smooth and quiet operation.