VANCOUVER, BC, Canada – Apex Sound & Light worked with Infinite Stage Design to provide a sound and light solution for Ontario House, one of the facilities used for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, sponsored by Ontario's government. Apex opted to use d&b audiotechnik gear to meet the unique needs of the venue.
Situated at the Concord Pacific Site, part of the Winter Olympic facilities, Ontario House needed to work as a showcase for the Province of Ontario. As with other provincial pavilions, it was used to promote Ontario's products, services and tourism.
"The project started out about a year ago," said Corry McGibbon, project leader for Apex Sound & Light. "The main contractor for the building, EllisDon construction, had to submit a proposal that included its functionality and how it would work and communicate with its visitors. Patrick McKenna from Infinite Stage Design engaged Apex to conceive and design a sound and light solution for the venue."
"My company, Infinite Stage Design, formed part of the team put together by EllisDon in collaboration with Nussli," said McKenna. "For our part, we proposed a cutting edge technology approach, strongly media based; one that would give us the ability to be flexible in the way the building contents were presented to the public," McKenna added.
"The idea was not to be static, live acts of various types would appear all day," McKenna continued. "The aspect of food and beverage available all day inside Ontario House also proved a strong draw. And the 3D and 4D presentation modes we planned would give the visitor an unexpected perspective on events," with 4D in this context meaning 3D video with the added sensory dimension of aromas from the food being served.
"The master proposal was submitted in the Spring of 2009," said Apex's McGibbon. "One of the key elements we included was that however complex and dispersed the audio system, we would maintain a one amplifier channel one loudspeaker scenario to enable total control and re-configurability. That has proved an absolute blessing."
Nightly concerts were staged at Ontario House, with the performance venue equipped with a d&b audiotechnik J-Series system. This system was also used during the day for the appearance of Canadian celebrities like Wayne Gretsky, who spoke of his Ontario vineyard. The venue also drew crowds with its various video offerings, including eight 9-foot-by-16-foot projection screens, all of which required audio accompaniment.
"We have drawn upon d&b inventory throughout – E3s as discreet fills, various types of Q-Series for delay and as a separate system in the lounge area," said Apex's McGibbon. "It's all linked and controlled by d&b's R1 software, that remotely controls access to the one amp channel, one loudspeaker rationale that has given us the flexibility to respond to the audience demand that has grown, even in the few short days since the games opened."
"The first night was tricky because of over demand," noted Infinite Stage Design's McKenna. "The concert hall is licensed for 750 and probably five times that number turned up. But as I said, anticipation is everything. We already had audio set up outside, plus we put an LED video screen out there. It's just a shame it was raining so it wasn't that pleasant for people out there.
"We learned lessons that first night, and within 18 hours had implemented changes," McKenna added. "That's been a daily event now, where we review the positives and negatives of the day and because of the flexibility in built, make responses. We have, for example, increased our public access by a factor of three, because it seems everyone wants to come here to watch the ice hockey."
For a damp, foggy Winter Olympics, the allure of big screens, warm environment, and ample supplies of food and drink added to Ontario House's appeal. But the venue's popularity was also based on the fact that it was built like a permanent structure rather than a temporary one.
Designed by Nussli, a Switzerland-based company specializing in events and expos, it had solid wood walls concrete footings with an insulated wood floor and roof steel in abundance.
"That's how we were able to hang a relatively large J system in what is quite a small auditorium" said Apex's McGibbon. "While the acoustics aren't the friendliest, we've easily overcome the dangers of reflective surfaces and a reverberant ceiling with the tight accuracy of d&b pattern control; that was never going to be an issue with this system."
"We always wanted something cutting edge," said Infinite Stage Design's McKenna. "Once we'd secured the bid, we were left pretty much to our own devices to bring this to fruition. We knew from the onset that we needed to be based on Ontario product, we looked to business and tourism; we then did a lot of brainstorming.
"Apex were supportive of that process too – we sat together and looked at the aspect of different bands appearing each day," McKenna added. "I've worked with Apex on projects for over eight years now so I was confident I could turn such things over to them and they'd make a great job of it, which is exactly what they've done. Their posture was like ours, to respond flexibly, to look over the horizon and imagine what might be there, they had plans A, B, C, D and E, and we fully expected to incorporate them all over the two weeks of the Games."
As a result, Ontario House was able to serve the surges in visitors, with audio that was reconfigured to suit the varying audience needs. The ice hockey events drew some of the largest crowds at the venue, particularly with the Canadian Olympic team's victory on the closing day of the Winter Games.
For more information, please visit www.dbaudio.com .
