PW SEPT08 P20.qxd 8/18/08 1:49 pm Page 20
Park News
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BANANA BATTLE
Banana Battle is split into three parts, starting with a practice area where guests
can try out the water guns. In zone two they fire at targets themed at golden masks
to activate a series of effects including monkeys, snakes and turtles, then in the
Making a Splash at Bobbejaanland
final zone they can shoot at the other boasts and really get wet.
Perhaps the best way to enjoy the attraction, however, is from the outside. As
This summer Bobbejaanland in Belgium unveiled the world’s first indoor Splash
part of the Banana Bos revamp, P&P also overhauled a food and beverage
Battle from 3DBA/Preston & Barbieri as part of its new Banana Bos (Banana
area, which now overlooks the ride. Spectators can further join in the fun by
Forest) area.
activating a coin-operated geyser in the centre of the ride and soaking their
Banana Battle, as the ride is called, is the second compact Splash Battle
friends on board.
supplied to the Parques Reunidos group, following the delivery of Raratonga last
season to Mirabilandia in Italy.
Built inside one of Bobbejaanland’s existing building, the ride features a cable
drive beneath the water and was themed by P&P Projects from the Netherlands,
which has also worked on a number of
earlier Splash Battle installations.
“Our job was to create a new look
and transform the building into a jungle
area,” remembers P&P’s creative
director, Philipp van Stratum. “This was
tricky because the building was
constructed in the ‘70s with corrugated
metal, which is not the easiest material
to scenically treat. The size of the
building, approximately 2,500 square
metres, also meant it was a challenge to
compete the job on budget.”
Madame Tussauds
Behind-the-scenes in Berlin
Madame Tussauds is known the world over for its accurate
waxwork depictions of celebrities, political figures and sporting
legends. An important but less obvious feature of each museum
is the sets the figures are presented in. Philipp van Stratum of
P&P Projects in the Netherlands, which recently finished working
on the new Madame Tussauds Berlin, gives Park World a little
insight
Berlin is the first new Madame Tussauds to be built under the ownership of
Merlin Entertainments, but has a similar blueprint to the Washington site. We
were responsible for the theming and fit out of the job, which meant building
walls, scenic elements, backdrops and props for the characters.
We first worked on Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam, where we built a huge
animated character. Generally, there are a lot more interactive elements than
Communist friends and foes past and present: Willy Brandt, Erich Honecker
and Mikhail Gorbachev
there used to be in each Tussauds attraction. Unlike Amsterdam, however,
where you find highly-detailed medieval streets, there is less traditional theming
in Berlin and the sets are more abstract.
Working in capital cities is always a challenge when you consider the
logistics and the fact that the multi-layered buildings used were usually not
designed for this purpose. The time scale involved in construction can also be
a challenge, but we have a good relationship with Merlin, and have done
many projects with them now.
Our first job for Tussauds, as the company was then, was in the early
nineties when the London Planetarium had a major facelift. Since then we have
been involved in the production and development of several Merlin brands,
and we love them all because we can use our skills in different ways. My
personal favourite, however, is the original Madame Tussauds site in London
because of the Spirit of London taxi ride. I am a great fan of dark rides,
Muhammad Ali is one of several sporting icons featured in the new museum especially if they are well made and can surprise and inspire me. This one did.
20
SEPTEMBER 2008
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