The engaging installations created at Changi Airport, in Singapore, bring the wonders of nature to life also thanks to K-array audio, for a corner of tranquility in one of the busiest airports in the world
Considered one of the best in the world, Singapore’s Changi Airport recently inaugurated a new attraction: the wonders of Singapore’s natural environment have in fact been recreated at Terminal 2 by two multimedia installations, called Digital Sky and Wonderfall, created by the multimedia studio Moment Factory in close collaboration with design studio BOIFFILS Architectures, and implemented by system integrators Electronics & Engineering (for Wonderfall) and Electro-Acoustics Systems (for Digital Sky). Furthermore, Moment Factory was also responsible for designing the soundscape of both installations, for which a K-array system was chosen.
Digital Sky is an LED installation suspended above the airport’s Dreamscape Garden, and required an audio system capable of creating a natural soundscape that accompanies visitors on the move. The soundscape is generated in the Wwise Audiokinetic software using a weighted random algorithm. The sound can be modified by varying certain parameters in real time, parameters which can also be controlled via an Unreal Engine capsule to respond to changes in the time of day and local weather conditions, thus creating a unique experience that blends reality and imagination to passengers waiting for their flight.
Wonderfall, however, has already become a real landmark of the Terminal 2 departure hall. Here, a four-story digital waterfall, measuring 18 meters wide and 14 meters high, displays a series of images of waterfalls on a 34.4 megapixel LEDwall, interspersed with attention-grabbing animations and roaring ocean waves.
Digital Sky is an LED installation suspended above the airport’s Dreamscape Garden, and required an audio system capable of creating a natural soundscape that accompanies visitors on the move. The soundscape is generated in the Wwise Audiokinetic software using a weighted random algorithm. The sound can be modified by varying certain Both installations, while having a clear visual focus, required sound systems that blended with the space providing realistic, high-quality soundscapes. A K-array solution was chosen for the performance, reliability and compact design of the brand’s loudspeakers, allowing integrators to carefully install the products with minimal disruption to the installation design. Additionally, both Wonderfall and Digital Sky are set among real-world vegetation, so K-array’s IP64-certified speakers proved to be the ideal choice in the presence of water and humidity.
Wonderfall, in particular, required considerable audio reinforcement as between the ambient interludes, the LED screen displays a three-and-a-half-minute spectacle composed of an immersive cascading animation set to a specially commissioned piano composition from composer Jean-Michel Blais. In this case, the system integrators opted for a system based on K-array’s Vyper series speakers, ultra-flat line arrays that create minimal visual impact thanks to their elegant design. Supported by two equally slim Kobra line array elements and four medium-sized Domino units, the 19 Vyper units do their job well, with the final addition of four meter-long Python speakers, each with twelve neodymium magnet woofers 3.15”. Finally, four Rumble subwoofers, integrated under the wall, take care of the low-end frequencies, while a total of 16 meters of ultra-flexible Anakonda speakers provide a seamless audio wall around the bottom of the LED wall. The system is driven by five Kommander KA84 amplifiers from K-array, which provide powerful DSP and integration with the QSC control system. Recordings of nearly 100 local wildlife sounds create an unforgettable, immersive nature experience.
From the mesmerizing waves of Wonderfall to the tropical paradise of Dreamscape Garden, Moment Factory has used the latest innovations in AV technology to reconnect travelers with the natural world. The 33 K-array speakers located in the Dreamscape Garden give life to a three-dimensional and enveloping orchestral sound show every 30 minutes. In short, at Changi Airport, thanks to immersive audio and video contributions, travelers can enjoy moments of true tranquility and wonder despite being in the middle of one of the busiest transport hubs in the world.
