PLANETARIUMS
reach for the
So you want to build a planetarium, but where do you start and what do you need to know? Andrea Jezovit talks to industry experts for their tips and recommendations
end show technology can be a compli- cated engineering feat, and it’s a big investment; costs vary greatly, even among theatres that are the same size. “If you look at the projection system, our entry
P
level is just under US$100,000 (£68,600, 82,000),” says Sky-Skan marketing direc- tor Marcus Weddle, noting that the highest end systems can cost upwards of US$1m (£686,500, 820,000) to US$2m, depend- ing on the resolution. “And you’ve got to look at seating and domes as well.”
Blast Off So where to start? When Sky-Skan’s thea- tre designer, Kurt Berna, sits down with a new client, the fi rst thing he asks is why they want to build a planetarium. “Clients have trouble answering that sometimes,” he says. “You also try to ask what sepa-
lanetariums have a lot to offer visi- tors. But, constructing a theatre housing a dome and lots of high
STARS
rates a planetarium experience from a cinema or an IMAX experience.” The space available for the planetarium is a major factor. “The fi rst question we always ask, which is not obvious to archi- tects or museums, is, do you have a room already?” says Scott Huggins, marketing director for planetarium theatre specialists Spitz, a subsidiary of Evans & Sutherland. “Somebody has to build a large space that’s totally black inside for a planetarium to get constructed into.” The next question, he says, is whether
the attraction’s architect has enough planetarium experience — Spitz is often called on for help by architects without any. Elements such as where to put electri- cal and projection equipment need to be considered, as well as the construction of a control room; HVAC is a particularly complex concern in planetariums, Huggins notes, as domes contain perforations that air must pass through. Dome acoustics are
also important, and sometimes Spitz will perform an acoustic study for a customer. Stuart Hetherington, managing direc-
tor of digital display specialists HoloVis, agrees that a knowledgeable planetarium consultant is invaluable. “Be realistic in expectations and timescales,” he adds. Size is another major factor to consider.
“One of the traps some communities fi nd themselves in is that they’ll automatically believe bigger is better. And sometimes this is the opposite — a bigger theatre can hurt presentation,” Huggins says. If a small community builds a 15m (50ft)- diameter dome with 200 seats, only to see attendance drop to eight or 10 people two months in, those audiences are experienc- ing something that feels unpopular, he notes. Meanwhile, a 9m (30ft) dome cater- ing to expected audiences of 50 to 60 per programme can provide a better experi- ence even if it’s only half full, Huggins says. Planetariums at major tourist attractions,
where thousands or tens of thousands of visitors are expected daily, can go large with 50ft (15m) to 70ft (21m) domes and seating for 200 to 500 per show; planetari- ums catering mostly to school groups may want to calculate seat numbers based on how many children fi t on a school bus, Spitz’s director of design engineering, Chris Wright, notes. With today’s fulldome show technology,
even smaller domes can be made to feel immersive and theatrical, says Huggins, as larger domes will also mean higher costs in terms of lighting, audio systems and projection expenses. Another important consideration are fi re
Planetariums can often be iconic shapes, such as the Glasgow Science Centre Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital
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safety codes — the completely black space required for a planetarium isn’t condu- cive to meeting these, which can lead to problems with local authorities. “Get them involved early on so that you can make a compromise,” Berna says.
AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010
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