Swarovski Crystal Worlds

Countless crystals sparkle in the garden of the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Austria.

Since 19 January, around 500 lamps have been shining there and a 33-metre-high Ferris wheel shines in bright colors. At this year's Light Festival, the entirety of Swarovski Crystal Worlds will be on stage. You can still marvel at the spectacle and experience the impressive light show even further afield.

This year PRG was commissioned by Swarovski Kristallwelten with the installation of lighting and sound technology. For PRG Account Manager Simon Rist, this is a very special assignment: "We are delighted about the first collaboration and are very proud to be able to support Swarovski Crystal Worlds! We started planning early on and tried to find and develop solutions together with the customer where there might not have been any technical possibilities before and have successfully implemented them.“

A crew of more than 15 PRG technicians realized the setup in around ten days. The good weather provided optimal conditions during the set-up phase, so that the event technology could be installed and tested within the planned time window. The artistic staging at this year's Light Festival consists of three scenarios: A playing area is formed by the Giant Wheel, which was specially built for this festival. The second stage takes place around the Swarovski Crystal Cloud and the third stage takes place around the area of the Wishing Rod Bunny in the garden. Most of the installed lights are controlled via radio to avoid cable bridges on the visitor paths in the garden. For this purpose, a large W-DMX network was installed on the entire grounds of Crystal Worlds, which sends and controls an optimal signal to all luminaires over this large area. A total of 63 Clay Paky Myths including weather protection were installed on the site. In addition, 100 Astera AX1 LED bars were installed perpendicular to the ground around the rabbit and the giant. These are also controlled via DMX. In addition, dedicated power supplies were built and installed for the rods in order to be able to install the Astera AX1 in the outdoor area. In addition, 168 Astera AX5, AX7 and AX10 as well as 114 SGM P-2, P-5 and P-10 LED floodlights will be used for the light show. On top of the mirror water there is another “outdoor” Moving Light, the new ELATION Proteus Hybrid. For this purpose, the cable laid by the frozen mirror water was necessary. In addition to lighting technology, PRG has also installed sound technology in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. So, for example, came. Meyer Sound MICA loudspeaker for use, Meyer Sound HP-700 subwoofer and a very comprehensive Q-Lab playback system. There is also a buzzer in front of two scenarios (at Giant and Wishing Rod Bunnies), which triggers new, impressive effects. Sound and light are closely linked and coordinated in a programmed timecoded show. In addition to PRG technology, the existing technology of the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which is already available in the garden and in the chambers of wonders, was also used and integrated into the scenarios. A special solution was also developed for the Ferris wheel to control the lighting via DMX, so that the different effects can be integrated into the show.

In addition to the elaborate technical installations, the weather is of course a challenge for the team. For events in the outdoor area, the complete equipment must be packed weatherproof. In addition, the Swarovski Crystal Worlds are in the middle of the Tyrolean mountains. Extreme freezing temperatures can occur here in winter. However, if the sun shines during the day, the temperature under the films of the technology can quickly rise to over 20 degrees. These conditions make it difficult to implement the technology, as the technology must be kept in such a state of play that it can run smoothly for four weeks in different weather conditions. To ensure this, the entire installation is continuously supervised by a PRG service technician. The lighting design is by lighting designer Björn Hermann. For him, too, the implementation of the Light Festival is a challenge. He praises the good collaboration with PRG and the joint solutions: "We worked out solutions for every situation. We were all there with hot heads and soldering power supplies until the night. I have to say, it was a great team, a great collaboration and it was a lot of fun.“

The finished show is impressive! Great lighting effects, a captivating story and thoughtful sound inserts impress the guests. Almost every tree, shrub and figure are illuminated in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds and integrated into the show. Until 18 February, visitors can see this unique light experience in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds.