The newly developed Melbourne Central is a modern shopping center in Melbourne, Australia, with over 300 stores to explore and the innovative new 3on3 complex, the latest installment from entertainment developer EDG. Located on the Third level of the Center, 3on3 is a complete entertainment venue that incorporates Kingpin Bowling center, Barcode “Game Bar,” and the Van Gogh Vodka bar.

What separates this location from your typical bowling alley and games venue is its lounge atmosphere, featuring LCD screens playing music video clips above the lanes, and funky and comfortable décor. The lighting effects are a major contributor to the venue’s overall ambience. Lighting Designer Andrew Livingston of Bluebottle 3 Pty Ltd was able to incorporate the necessary branding elements that EDG puts into all their venues, with slick, colorful effect and decorative lighting. “Having several different venues on site, we wanted to make sure they all looked different but still complimented each other,” says Livingston. “We also wanted the venue to be constantly moving with different looks or moods. Some of the changes are subtler than others, but over the course of a day, the entire venue has several different feels to it.”

Lightmoves supplied dimming, lighting control, gobo projection, effect and decorative lighting throughout the venue. They supplied a total of forty-one Aureol Beam shapers, which are used for their gobo projection capabilities in a variety of applications, including the Lane numbers in the bowling lanes and a number of Logo projections for both the Van Gogh Bar and Barcode. A further 90 Aureol Beam Spots, with the optional Snoot for beam control, are scattered around the complex providing general spot lighting.

The four Bars located on the premises are decked out with Osram Linearlight LED strips. White strips are used to uplight all bottle displays, while green strips are used around the front of the Kingpin bar. For the main Barcode bar, a combination of Blue and Red Linearlight LED strips dim in and out to create the a two-color changing effect. This results in a blast of color that can be seen well before you enter the venue.

However, the Kingpin bowling alley features the most dynamic color display in the complex. An eye-catching colorwash at the far end of the bowling lanes greets people as they enter. Martin Alien 02 washlights were used to project the changing colors onto the frames at the end of the lanes. “During testing, it became apparent that the Aliens were best suited to this environment. The separate ballast and head as well as the tidy design meant we could sneak the fixture into a much smaller gap in the ceiling structure,” explains Livingston. The colorwash, controlled by an Enttec DMX Streamer, is complimented by a series of color-changing LED tubes that zigzag their way across the bowling lanes. A series of low-voltage Wedgelites run up the length of the alley’s side wall.

The entire lighting system is controlled by a range of Dynalite dimmers and switchers, with a Dimtek LCD touchscreen – located behind the main bar – as the command post for all lighting control and color-changing procedures for all three venues; allowing for very simple and convenient operation.

The creative combination of Bluebottle and Lightmoves have fashioned a venue of exploding color and class. As Livington puts it, “This kind of support from a supplier makes the concept of trying new ideas a lot more possible.”

For More Information:
www.lightmoves.com
www.melbournecentral.com.au