ZAIA Theater and Set Fact Sheet

Information on the Zaia Theater for Cirque Du Soleil’s show at the Sands Venetian, Macau (SAR) China.

“For me, ZAIA is an inner journey through time and space. The set, in which arcs and perspective lines predominate, evokes the viewpoint of a human eye looking through a large observatory telescope. ”
Guillaume Lord, Set Designer

The Theatre
The ZAIA Theatre is reminiscent of ancient architectural telescopes such as Jaipur in India and the vast stone Mayan observatories of Central America. It is not a planetarium as such, however it contains many visual cues and references that add to the show’s underlying theme of cosmic exploration.

In keeping with the primary theme of a journey into space, verticality is an important component of the show and the theatre was designed with a higher than 80-ft/24-meter ceiling and the set elements are intended to recreate the experience of being in space – an experience that is both mysteriously alien and strangely familiar. This is a timeless journey from through the stratosphere and beyond, while keeping an eye on Earth.

The Set
When the audience enters the theatre, one of the main set elements, a gigantic sphere, appears to be a chandelier and the house is illuminated by light sources at ground level, creating the effect of a deep dark cave. When the sphere is revealed in all its constantly-changing glory following the opening number, its full scope and the effect of its trajectory over the heads of the audience is nothing less than stunning.

The proscenium is made up of several layers that create a sense of depth through perspective lines and curves made of bronze that converge on the single focal point located at the centre of an enormous sun-like gong set against the backdrop, known as the “Star Drop,” which recreates the night sky with 3,000 fiber optic “stars.” Designer Guillaume Lord used a star map to give the Star Drop an accurate representation of the constellations at the exact location of the theatre.

Some figures

• The theatre has a capacity of 1,852. UPDATE Feb 8 2009: Am told the seating capacity is 1801.
• The Proscenium is 88 high and 97 Wide.
• The 12,221 sq. ft. Star Drop measures 121 x 101.
• The polished bronze-plated Gong Sun has a 20 diameter.
• The 25 diameter Sphere moves on three axes. It consists of an aluminum exoskeleton covered in Lexan and weighs 4,000 lbs. It contains 6 projectors that beam integrated images through a full 360 degrees.
• Above the audience the Oval Track transports performers and set elements (such as the 600-lb ice blocks) on 148’ x 95’ 5 chariots that weigh 800 lbs.
• It takes 30-40 backstage technicians to operate the set.