Render courtesy Brooklyn Mirage (c)
A beacon in postindustrial East Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Mirage made music into spectacle when it launched in 2016. Later enhancements introduced a popular state-of-the-art LED video wall. But a decade is an eon in tech years, and last winter the open-air venue closed with promises to reemerge as Mirage 4.0 in just a few cold months. On 1 May, when it finally celebrates its tenth anniversary at the heart of the immersive entertainment complex Avant Gardner, Mirage will reopen as a hyper-realistic environment beyond some of the world’s largest music venues. Central to the experience? The new 270-degree virtual screen, unveiled by a fully kinetic floor-to-ceiling shutter system that bills itself as the first of its scale in the world.
The rebuild was realised by Avant Gardner’s in-house design and production team, in collaboration with production designers Hard Feelings and Studio Greenbank. They went in a sustainable direction, incorporating a heavy-timber structure that measures 60 by 50 metres and soars 20 metres overhead. An alternative to steel or aluminium, it was entirely pre-manufactured and CNC-cut, and counts itself among the largest timber builds of its kind in the US.
When the kinetic shutter system is closed, the theatre pays homage to the earliest, pre-LED Mirage generations. The big reveal puts guests at the centre of a combined 30k resolution, 100 million pixels and more than 3,000 tiles. Avant Gardner says it exceeds the size, density, scale and visual experience of many world-class music festivals.
‘This is not just an upgrade — it’s a rebirth,’ says Avant Gardner CEO Josh Wyatt. ‘The New
Mirage will be everything fans worldwide love about this space — while delivering a completely new,
mind-blowing sensory experience.’
Complementing the visuals is a custom sound system by industry leader L-Acoustics with more than 100 precision-calibrated speakers and subwoofers, strategically placed throughout the venue to ensure balanced sound and front-row energy for everyone. The sound design can be configured in umpteen ways, so no two shows are alike. Avant Gardner also installed a 400,000-pound roof rigging capacity.
Fun-to-have details include a hi-fi listening room, mocktail bar and, for VIPs, an 800-seat lounge with built-in charging capability that hovers over the main stage.
The opening-night party starts at 6 pm on 3 May.
