 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Feature Articles |
|
Architectural - Technical |
|
Architectural - Historical |
|
Live Events - Technical |
|
Live Events - Historical |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Feature Articles With currently only 159 shopping centers serving 165 million Brazilians, South America's largest country seems ripe for a retail revolution. By branding its New York City Center concept throughout Brazil's major cities, Grupo Multiplan is bidding to become the vanguard of entertainment retail, with GameWorks an integral part of its formula. Exporting GameWorks to Brazil required only slight design modifications, thanks in part to Brazil's strong European influences, the ever encroaching global village, and, surprisingly, the Brazilian national government's January 1999 devaluation of the rael, its national currency. The latter caused Grupo Multiplan to put the project on hold for six months. "The pause in the construction schedule actually worked to the project's advantage," says John Leggitt, GameWorks director of architecture, who worked closely with Grupo Multiplan's Paulo Baruki on the Rio project. "During that time we were further refining the design and business model back in the United States. What emerged was a product that was even better suited for Brazil." Ever since the first venue opened in Seattle in March 1997, the Gameworks concept has been evolving dramatically; Leggitt dubs the latest version "GW Release 3.0." Attracting deep-pocketed 20-somethings to fill its venues during the evening hours doesn't require the intense theming and sensory overload that was the hallmark of the earliest venues, Gameworks discovered. Many of the initial scenic details, such as the brick walls, faux aging, exposed piping and kinetic lighting, were found to be unnecessary and even distracting from the main product and revenue generator: the games. Gameworks Rio typifies the new approach. The retro-industrial look is toned down. The colors are rich jewel tones and the lights are dimmer, to create a more refined, nightclub ambiance. The space is broken up to concentrate similar types of games into distinct, themed zones, and to provide low-key areas where guests can take a breather before heading back out into the high-energy spots. And the fast food format has given way to a luxurious, sit-down restaurant. Grupo Multiplan, which first approached GameWorks at the end of 1997, applauded these changes. The more opulent feel accentuates that GameWorks is not just another cheesy video arcade, but rather a club where guests can hobnob over the latest high-end simulation experience. In Brazil, arcades don't have a good reputation and are perceived as attracting unsavory social elements. Gameworks Rio counters this by stationing formally dressed greeters, who welcome guests at the door, and positioning the high-class restaurant so that it is the first thing visitors encounter. Its dark mahogany floor, hand-blown glass fixtures, and patio off to the side give the requisite touch of class. Through glass panels, diners can view the action inside the gaming zones, but soundproofing ensures that the noise doesn't encroach upon their leisurely Epicurean experience. Some of the games were adapted to fit local tastes. Because stock car racing is wildly popular among young Brazilian men, GameWorks Rio offers a sizable 6,000-sq.-ft. Racing Zone, bedecked with black-and-red checkerboard carpeting in which a full-scale replica of a Brazilian stock car dangles from the 28'- high ceiling. The centerpiece is an eight-passenger stock car racing simulator. To create an exciting, high-energy atmosphere, 12 ETC Iridium AR5 washlights are attached to the circular truss, 4m in diameter, that hangs from the ceiling. Integrated by an ETC Expression 3 lighting playback controller, which is linked to the Crestron show control system via a media interface, the truss works as a gigantic, illuminated pinwheel and is a throwback to the kinetic lighting art that was the one of the signatures of the Seattle flagship venue. The live Play Jockey can initiate various lighting sequences from a remote controller, activating the four High End Systems TechnoBeams® when a competition begins, or jazzing things up with the four High End Dataflash® high-intensity strobe lights. The Sports Zone gets less emphasis in Rio than in previous venues: "Skiing, snowboarding, and tennis are more a common part of the lifestyle of the average American than they are of the average Brazilian," says Leggitt. Reflecting Brazil's national obsession with soccer, it included a soccer simulation experience, and GameWorks also reports that its Virtual Striker, a bowling game, has been well received there. Playing to Brazil's intense love of music is the Music Zone, with games for dancing, playing air guitar, and drums. A sumptuous salon with wood paneling, lush draperies, leather-clad chairs, and such games as Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Asteroids, and Pong caters to women's preferences for classic games and comfortable surroundings. Cultural differences are also evident in the choice of some construction techniques and materials. GameWorks employed local vendors and products whenever possible, not only because Brazil's import laws made it cost-prohibitive to do otherwise, but also to support Grupo Multiplan's existing relationships. Ambra Plan is its construction arm and AQ Projetos do Instalacoes Ltda. served as the contractor, with structural engineering services provided by Guiper Engenharia Ltda. One exception was lighting design, where Los Angeles-based Moody, Ravitz and Hollingsworth (MRH) was brought in to work with Rio-based LD Studio. Eileen Thomas of MRH worked closely with her Brazilian counterpart, Monica Lobo, to ensure the integrity of the GameWorks look. LD Studio also oversaw the fabrication of the custom-made lighting fixtures, working closely with Brazilian manufacturer Lumini to fabricate the retro-industrial RLM dome fixtures. "These fixtures that have become popular here, but faded away in Brazil around the turn of the 20th century [19th?]," says Dawn Hollingsworth, a principal with MRH. "It was rewarding to work with local vendors and introduce a new design vocabulary. They did a top-notch job." Because Brazil uses more European-style construction methods and materials, there were some challenges. "They're much more used to working with prefabricated concrete blocks, clay tile, and brick," says Leggitt. "It was the first time that the construction team had ever worked with steel studs and drywall. It took us more than once to get it right." Another striking difference is the relative abundance of natural materials at affordable prices. It was far less expensive to use real mahogany and marble, for instance, than synthetic reproductions. Because of the different voltage system (220 instead of 120), installing the ceiling fixtures was also a breeze, according to Jeremy Windle, one of MRH's associate lighting designers who worked with Estadio da Arte on the show control integration. "The ceiling panels have Unistrut mounts built in," explains Windle. "It meant that in certain areas, such as the bar, you could just pop the fixtures in. The installation took no time." Show control turned out to be a bit more complicated. While US-based Soundelux provided the sound and video, Brazil-based Estadio da Arte integrated the master control system. "In a country that has always has a surplus of labor," explains Leggitt, "there's been little incentive to automate tasks. While they're used to integrating the audio and video in restaurant environments, working on a project the scale and complexity of GameWorks, which also required integrating the lighting into the system, wasn't something they had done before." In the end, GameWorks succeeded in recreating its signature look in the heartland of Carnival and developing relationships with local vendors with an eye to further expansion in the region. With 12 facilities currently operating in the US and another international destination in Guam, GameWorks has selected Brazil as the linchpin for its expansion into Latin America. GameWorks' blend of high-tech fun and festive nightclub ambiance might prove to be a potent combination in Brazil. The country's top international tourist destination has long been Florida, where prior to the economic crisis, the Brazilian middle class flocked to Orlando's theme parks. With the decline in the value of the rael, Florida is feeling the pinch, and Brazil's international tourism industry has slumped, but domestic tourism is thriving. According to the national business newspaper Gazeta Mercantil, local tourism generated US $38 billion in sales in 1998, and Brazil's national tourism commission, Embratur, asserts that over the next few years, private investors will spend US $6 billion in domestic tourism projects, including 300 new hotels and 10 major new theme parks. There is talk of opening the next GameWorks in São Paulo, Brazil's capital city, where Grupo Multiplan plans to open its second New York City Center. |
