Following the success of the “MGM Butterfly Ballet” in 2012, which attracted over 300,000 visitors, MGM MACAU launched the “Magical Light Journey” in May this year. Designed around the theme of the ocean, the main installation is a cylindrical “Water Sky Screen” surrounded by coral, located in the center of the Sky Screen Plaza. Over a thousand fish swim within it, blending the ocean and sky into one. This all-round, 24/7 entertainment experience showcases MGM’s unique “Light. Shadow. Water World,” and entry is free to promote messages of marine conservation and environmental protection.
Using large seaweed, bubble ornaments, and schools of fish, the installation presents the magnificent beauty of the underwater world. (Photo provided by MGM MACAU)
The “Light. Shadow. Water World” was jointly created by MGM’s professional team and renowned American installation designer Stephen Stefanou. From conception, design, preparation to production, it took a full year. Its main components include a crimson coral palace, the cylindrical “Water Sky Screen,” and installations such as large seaweed, bubble ornaments, and fish groups. Leveraging the uniqueness of the Sky Screen Plaza, it reinterprets the wonders of nature through light and shadow, presenting a fantastical underwater seascape.
In the center of the Sky Screen Plaza stands a grand and magnificent crimson coral palace. Enclosed within it is the 5-meter-diameter, 8.3-meter-high “Water Sky Screen.” Its cylindrical design allows 360-degree views of the graceful movements of the fish. Weighing over 200 tons, the “Water Sky Screen” was manufactured in Japan. It was first vertically cut into five sections at the production site and then transported to Macau. Later, a base and multi-layer steel frames were erected in the Sky Screen Plaza, and it was seamlessly reassembled using sophisticated techniques. The scale of its transportation and installation is truly rare, making this project truly one of a kind.
Multiple sets of large seaweed, bubble ornaments, and fish group installations from the United States are placed around the coral palace to create a marvelous feeling of being in an ocean world. The large seaweed is entirely produced using computer graphics and 3D printing technology, featuring lifelike shapes. The specially made fiberglass material has UV-resistant properties and is not prone to fading. A series of ornaments resembling underwater bubbles hang in mid-air in the plaza. Their design utilizes the optical principle of Fresnel lenses, offering excellent light-gathering ability to refract soft rays of light, creating a harmonious scene of sunlight penetrating the ocean. Meanwhile, the aluminum fish group installations swimming through the air sparkle in the sunlight, looking vivid and lifelike.
The fish displayed inside the “Water Sky Screen” include three small Blacktip Reef Sharks from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, as well as over a thousand species from the southern China seas, such as Red Emperor Snapper, Golden Trevally, and Roundface Batfish. Visitors have the rare opportunity to observe various types of fish freely swimming in the same place at the same time. During the day, sunlight streams through the screen, presenting a vibrant image, while at night, under carefully designed lighting, it creates a breathtaking display of marine aurora.
● More Fun Activities in Macau: Watch the Drunken Dragon Parade, Climb the Oldest Lighthouse – Macau’s Unique Festivities Continue
http://goo.gl/1rAuq