OTHERWORLD Birmingham, UK

OTHERWORLD

EMEA BIRMINGHAM / UNITED KINGDOM

Madrix, Avolites and Optoma projectors help set the scene in this futuristic virtual reality bar.

Otherworld is a venue within a venue, offering visitors an escape to a virtual reality theme park, filled with entertainment, gaming and arts experiences. With a focus on creating a sense of journey before stepping into the virtual world, Otherworld’s third location in Birmingham fully succeeds in its mission thanks to a variety of wellplaced, and often subtle technology. Featuring 18 virtual reality immersion pods and a self service bar with touch screen control, all developed in-house by the Otherworld team, the new Birmingham location has been a hit with the locals, following on from two facilities previously opened in London. Step inside a pod, slip on the headphones and VR headset, and you are transported to a virtual island where you can choose an experience – puzzles, shooters, combat, stories and movies – all in premium, 4D virtual reality. But getting to those pods is part of the journey. Ed Wardle, Otherworld’s Chief Creative Officer, working with Lucas Tizard of Red Deer and Lucas Edwards of Sensory Studio, carefully created an atmosphere over three floors - in the ‘departure lounge’, ‘transition’ and ‘departure gate’ to build an overarching user experience using light and sound. With a light and airy feel, the high-ceilinged ‘departure lounge’ has a futuristic interior, designed by architects Red Deer. The centrepiece, a pixel mapped self-service bar, is flanked by white banquette seating. Projection mapping the huge white walls are six 6.3K lumen Optoma laser projectors, while over 120 universes of pixel LED illuminate the bar, furniture, and key architectural features. The departure gate, located in the lower level, is dimly lit with a brooding, ambient soundscape which sets the scene ahead of entering the VR pods, while the transition area links the two main zones with gentle lighting. An immersive soundscape links the venue together, crafted by Otherworld’s Emmy-nominated sound designer.

Futuristic Lighting

The creative lighting installation was overseen by Sensory Studio and included some custom-made lighting solutions. “This was Sensory’s biggest and most ambitious install to date, but also the smoothest,” said Tekh Balance, Sensory Studio. “The Otherworld brand and franchise has really

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

VIRTUAL REALITY 18 Otherworld multi-sensory immersion pods 18 HTC Vive Pro 2 headsets

VIDEO & LIGHTING 6 x Optoma ZU606TSTE projectors Madrix 5 software Madrix Nebula Avolites AI Miami Notch Builder NVIDIA RTX 3090 graphics card

AUDIO Custom DARE Audio cabinets JBL Pro pendant and ceiling speakers

www.other.world

Left: The custom-made LED candles which are placed at every table.

started to hit its stride, and the technology which has been developed across the three venues has now got to a point where the developments that have been made here can now be implemented at the two previous venues in London. “We have this cool two-storey set-up, and this amazing room where the bar and furniture creates a perfect symmetry. Projection mapping was on the cards straight away because when you have walls this big, it asks for it!” Adding to the ambience are custom-made LED candles which sit on each table and flicker with colour, giving visitors an intimate experience at their table. These are hand crafted by Harish Persad, LED & Electronics Specialist, Sensory Studio, and are layers of PCB wafers held together by retaining springs, which pass voltage and data between the layers from the house control system. “Fully connected, these candles allow content to be coordinated across all venue surfaces, sparkling and exploding colour across the white tables,” said Persad. “The grounded, therapeutic motion results in a meditative experience like the sound of flowing water or wind through branches. These are the second version, and we will stay with this design. Moving from hand soldered to machine finish has increased permeability between the layers, giving the candles a floating 3D effect.” The addressable LED throughout the venue is controlled using Madrix 5 software and Madrix Nebula. “We use professional grade LED strips because this venue has to last for years. Madrix is designed for heavy install work and we are big fans of their hardware and software for LED control,” said Tekh. “Lucas Edwards, Director, Sensory Studio, is superb at programming Madrix, and he pulled it together really quickly. The drivers are super stable, considering they need to boot without issue 365 days per year.” When it came to choosing projectors, Tekh admitted they were in no doubt about which direction to go. “We’ve had a positive experience with the reliability of Optoma’s laser projectors, so that was an easy call to make,” he said. Above: Customisable LED lighting helps create different moods throughout the venue.

Next page: The multi-sensory immersion pods in the departure gate.

A custom rack-mounted media server with an NVIDIA RTX 3090 graphics card, running Avolites Ai Miami, delivers the content to six Optoma ZU606TSTE projections, which map the entire length of the Departure Lounge in 4K resolution. Content is generative real time particle systems made in Notch, and is reactive to triggers from the bar on drink selection and colour tuned to the time of day. Hanzo Schwarz, Content Designer and Director of Init Studio, is delighted with the set up. “Notch allows us to create stunning generative art that can be modified and fine-tuned in real-time on site. This allows us to achieve complete harmony between visuals, lights and the fabric of the building.” Edwards also notes the benefits of using Avolites Ai. “First off being able to run Notch blocks natively in the media server means one less point of failure on the software side,” he said. “With direct access to modulating Notch within Ai itself, we’re able to go direct from Bar API trigger to media server for low latency visual changes when someone pours a drink. We also use timecode from Madrix to trigger parameter changes, allowing us to adjust colour, brightness and visual theme as the venue shifts from day to night mode. Overall this gives us a super dynamic output and a generative content set that is always changing.” The installation process, according to Tekh, was relatively routine. “No install is without its surprises and this was no exception, however the team did a great job in achieving the high finish Otherworld demands and completed on schedule too,” he said.

Future sites

With three locations in the UK, the Otherworld team have big plans. “We’re expanding across the UK and internationally, with the next wave of openings in Edinburgh, Manchester, Miami and Austin in 2023,” said Chris Adams, CEO of Otherworld. “People are seeking evergreater levels of immersion, but through social experiences they can enjoy with friends and family. We can’t wait to take the Otherworld experience to new markets around the world.” Adam Newell, General Manager of Otherworld Birmingham, is delighted with the way the venue came together. “The light and design of this site gives visitors a sense of wonder – everyone who walks past stares in, utterly captivated, wondering what we are,” he said. “Once inside, soundscapes cover the transition and the departure gate, so we manage the mood through both lights and audio at every stage of the journey. Even the electronic toilets also have their own unique soundscape and lighting system!” With a carefully curated experience from the moment you enter, Otherworld’s venues are well placed to make an immediate impact as they look to increase their presence around the United Kingdom and beyond.