To order wine at this venue is to initiate a live aerial performance, where 'wine angels' fly up the face of the 13m tall tower and descend with your desired bottle. To achieve this Stage Technologies has supplied four BigTow winches that are controlled by radio linked operator pendants. These handheld, wireless pendants enable the wine angels to control their own movements up and down the tower. Their two-point hip harnesses allow them to turn upside-down and swing from side to side whilst performing choreographed routines. Stage Technologies' BigTow winches, originally designed for the theatre and live entertainment industries, have always been engineered to the highest possible safety standards for flying performers, so needed no modifications to fulfil the requirements of this project.
The main difference from theatre Performer flying systems is the complexity of the control and operation. The wine tower needed simple and easy control, up and down and stop when the button is released, a huge contrast from the sophisticated software Stage Technologies has developed for performances such as those at the Millennium Dome and currently in use on Mary Poppins in the West End and Cirque du Soleil productions in Las Vegas. The wine tower needed to be operated by staff with no or very little prior knowledge or experience of automation technology. A diagnostic display panel was supplied to aid with troubleshooting, enabling the system to be handed over to the hotel with confidence that they could resolve any problems easily and safely.
Edwin Shirley's creative design, combined with Stage Technologies experience in live performance, has produced a centrepiece that pushes the boundaries of interior design for bars and restaurants.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
