Zouk Las Vegas

The Mothership —
The iconic design element has evolved, just like Zouk Group.

The original idea dates back to 2016. The creative and technical studio LEDSCONTROL had been commissioned to design the new lighting experience for Zouk in Singapore. Then, the clubbing venue moved from its 25-year old location at Jiak Kim St. to its new home at Clarke Quay.

The legendary nightclub was transitioning from its home and ownership to a new generation of entertainment leaders, and as a result pushing the brand to become more than just a nightlife experience.

In the lighting-design process, LEDSCONTROL created ‘The Mothership’. The custom design became the iconic element for Zouk’s venues in Singapore (2016), Genting Highlands (2017), and now Resorts World Las Vegas (2021).

The evolution of the brand has also been reflected in the evolution of the Mothership’s design.
In its latest installment, the design is packed with cutting-edge lighting, pixel mapping and motion technologies.

Zouk Las Vegas is a multipurpose venue. True to the new maxim, it is more than just a nightclub.
A large variety of lighting elements was needed to meet the different show requirements.
“If you want to host DJs, various type of events, or even a catwalk, you need to be ready to have all the necessary spots, wash lighting, and LED video canvases for world-class productions in order to let your clients run their show; all while balancing performance, functionality, and a top visual experience,” says Rebeca Sánchez Pastor, founder of LEDSCONTROL.

The team also included a custom-made iris system of 4.6 ft (1.4 m) at the bottom of the Mothership, which is motorized using a linear actuator controlled by DMX. While being a unique and playful addition in itself, a number of beams can easily spotlight the star of the night and bring the DJ at the decks into focus.

This time, the technology goes beyond lighting. Not only can you expect dynamic and energetic effects from all the lighting fixtures, but the sculpture itself is not static but kinetic. The three-dimensional metallic structure can travel along the ceiling and execute three-dimensional movements. The Mothership travels laterally by two 80 ft (24.4 m) long tracks and four
trolleys at speeds of 3.3”/s (8.4 cm/s). And it is attached to 4 chain hoists that allow it to change its
elevation and inclination. The maximum inclination over the X-axis (2 hoists) is 40 degrees.

Although it is the central element of Zouk LV’s ceiling, the Mothership is far from being the only element of the lighting design. It is surrounded by large ceiling pods. 6 of those pods can be found at Empire, a room that can be closed off from the main room to create two separate areas. The main room features 24 ceiling pods. Each pod is a quadratic truss structure that includes a high-resolution LED screen, various lighting fixtures, as well as encompassing linear pixel-mapping applications around the borders controlled by MADRIX.

In addition, 16 of the main room panels are each connected to 4 kinetic hoist lifts for kinetic movements. The control system from Niscon and sends PSN signals to disguise and grandMA for the systems to track the position of all the moving elements in order to make interactive content and facilitate show-control programming. Together with the Mothership, many distinct motion arrangements are programmed to create a look that is simply spectacular.

“As designers, creating a place that is iconic and memorable is always a challenge. For us, it is not how much technology you put in. It is how you represent your client’s values through the form of art using technology as a medium. As LEDSCONTROL, we represent the dreams and visions of our clients in the form of iconic sculptures and cutting-edge designs that end up being the identity of the venue and part of their brand.”

“When we got invited to participate in the Zouk Singapore project in 2017, we got inspiration from the universe and how to create something that is from this planet. Something that can represent this evolution and growth, because we noticed that the Zouk brand was going to expand and we wanted to represent this expansion and uniqueness through art and technology”, Rebeca explains.

It was then the goal to make people connect with Zouk and its brand through the design and especially through memorable experiences, no matter in which Zouk of the world you are.

As is often the case when describing such an experience: You have to see it to believe it.

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Credits:
LEDSCONTROL for the overall lighting and bespoke Mothership concept, Solotech for their supply and integration of the audio, video, lighting, and control systems, Trustfall for the supply and integration of the LED screens, Niscon for the supply and integration of the motion systems, Jo Pauly for his consultancy and Disguise integration, Gerrit de Beuze for his rigging consultancy, Silver State for their rigging works, and ZFX for the programming of the motion systems under Niscon.

Other Mentions:
Thanks to John Lyons Systems for their collaboration on the ceiling pods and technical documentation in the early stages of the project.

Photographer:
Megan Blair