Pharos Architectural Controls are bringing joy and happiness to fans of the Smurfs by playing an important part in creating an immersive indoor Smurf-themed experience at Plopsaland Deutschland.
Plopsaland Deutschland is one of the major family theme park destinations in Germany and part of the Plopsa Group portfolio. The park combines popular children’s entertainment brands with large-scale attractions, drawing families from across Germany, France, and the Benelux region. A recent addition to the park is The Smurfs’ Adventure ride, a journey through the fun and lively world of the Smurfs, where visitors join the gang on an exciting adventure.
To bring the new ride to life, Lux Lumen – experts in lighting solutions for unique spaces – were appointed to the project. Lux Lumen, a preferred supplier for Plopsa parks across Europe, and a Pharos partner, were confident that Pharos technology could deliver the experiential elements of the new ride.
Lux Lumen supplied and installed over 400 custom fixtures across 11 cabinets, each with individual control via an Art-Net network, allowing precise, independent manipulation of multiple lighting fixtures and devices. To create a truly engaging visitor experience, a single four-universe Pharos Designer LPC controls all custom full-RDM light fixtures.
The LPC also triggers all audio, video and projection systems, special effects, aroma scent machines and animatronics, creating a fully immersive adventure for visitors. Beyond entertainment control, the LPC integrates with the Operator Console for ride operation and system monitoring, the KeySwitch system for secure mode selection and activation, and the EVAC interface to ensure coordinated emergency shutdown and evacuation responses when required.
The LPC was the first product developed by Pharos and is still its most popular controller. Originally designed for theme parks in the US, it brought together just the right amount of lighting control and show control in a compact, robust package, making it the ideal choice for this project. The LPC features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, and offers the freedom of real-time manual overrides, with the versatility of powerful show control and integration features. With a compact form and minimal power requirements, the LPC can be installed anywhere.
Integration was the responsibility of Pieter Dewaegeneere at Plopsa. Pieter had previously been trained by Lux Lumen on Pharos technology, allowing him to easily integrate all the audio and video triggers. Lux Lumen also assisted with programming and delivered tech support for Pharos products at the theme park.
Tom Mampaey, R&D Engineer at Lux Lumen, said, “The Smurfs’ Adventure is a fantastic example of how integrated technology can transform a themed attraction into a truly immersive experience. We needed a control solution that was reliable and easy to integrate across the entire ride environment. Pharos delivered exactly that. The flexibility and robustness of the Designer LPC allowed us to create precise synchronisation between all show elements, helping bring the world of the Smurfs to life for every visitor.”
Ryan Sainsbury, Regional Sales Manager for the UK, Ireland, N. Europe and Benelux at Pharos, added, “It was great to see Pharos solutions being used on The Smurfs’ Adventure ride; it’s a pleasure knowing that we are helping to create memorable experiences at Plopsaland Deutschland. The Designer LPC is an incredible piece of kit – remaining small in profile yet powerful, flexible and dynamic. It has delivered everything required for this immersive ride and demonstrates the suitability of the LPC for theme parks and similar tourist attractions across the globe.”
The introduction of the Pharos solutions to Plopsaland Deutschland adds to the growing portfolio of Pharos technologies operating in theme parks. Many of these are part of the Plopsa Group and were supplied and installed by Lux Lumen, demonstrating their powerful partnership and exceptional capabilities when teamed together.
Project Credits:
Client: Plopsaland Deutschland
Lighting Controls: Pharos Architectural Controls
Concept Design: Kurt Heerman
Project Manager Theming: Maarten Wilssens
Project Manager Technics & Programming: Pieter Dewaegeneere
Custom Fixtures, Cabinets, Full Light Installation & Pharos Tech Support: Lux Lumen
Décor, Scenic Design & Fabrication: Jora Vision
LF Studios: Animatronics: LF Studios
Light Design & Light Programming: PWL
Photography credits, Official Marketing Images: Plopsaland Deutschland, courtesy of Lux Lumen