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A flight through history: Brogent develops Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre as part of government-backed tourist development | Planet Attractions
     

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A flight through history: Brogent develops Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre as part of government-backed tourist development

Kazakhstan has welcomed the country’s first flying theatre ride with Brogent Technologies behind the landmark new attraction




The egg-shaped dome represents the nest of the mythical bird Samruk and its golden egg   Credit: Brogent

Media-based attractions manufacturer Brogent Technologies has built Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre, with its i-Ride technology utilised as a part of the Karavansaray mega-development in the city of Turkistan.

Bringing a number of firsts to the region in an attempt to draw in tourists, Karavansaray combines Kazakhstan's history and traditions to create a modern visitor experience, bringing together a shopping mall, dining destination, two themed hotels and an entertainment centre.



The destination - the largest mall complex in central Asia - has been designed to look as though it has come right out of the pages of an Eastern fairytale. To complement this theming, the flying theatre - called Altyn Samruk - is styled after a giant golden egg inside a nest, with the ride acting as an anchor attraction for the mixed-use destination.

The ride experience - which lasts around 15 minutes including a pre-show - tells the tale of the growth of Kazakh culture with the mythical bird Samruk. On the ride, guests are taken with Samruk on a flight through history, starting at the Great Silk Road and travelling all the way through to modern Kazakhstan.

In terms of the ride’s development, management at Karavansaray selected Brogent’s i-Ride system, as it offers complete flexibility in movement with six degrees of freedom. This technology was paired with several companies to create the overall experience.

CREDIT: CHRIS LANGE CREATIVE STUDIO BERLIN


Executive creative director Chris Lange developed all entertainment concepts with his Creative Studio Berlin. Following the client brief, Lange and his team extended the experience beyond the main show and developed a complete standalone experience concept including the preshow area, ensuring the attraction was all encompassing from start to finish.

“Our main contribution was to make sure that the ride system fitted perfectly inside the iconic building that mimics the golden egg from Samruk,” Brogent’s Stefan Rothaug tells Planet Attractions. “It’s always a welcome challenge for us to work with architects and construction companies to fit the theatres to specification inside different buildings.”



One of the main challenges for the ride’s development has been the ongoing global pandemic.

“We had sent a team of engineers and supervisors to the site at a time where the country was officially closed for travel,” explains Rothaug. “So we could do this, we had to acquire special visas from the Kazakh government and had to be very flexible with our flight schedules.

“With most of the ride’s installation happening in late 2020 and early 2021, we would find flights often got cancelled and the travel regulations were constantly changing, which proved to be a big challenge.”



Altyn Samruk also complements a nearby World Heritage site. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi sits in the northeastern part of Turkistan, with the historic site dating back to the 14th century.

Sauran and the area around the Mausoleum are just one of the eye-catching sites featured in the flying ride film, which was produced by Mack Animation.

CREDIT: MACK ANIMATION


Due to Covid-19 and the resulting travel limitations, the big challenge in film production for the flying theatre was that it had to be produced remotely without the use of a helicopter for recording the sweeping landscapes.

As a result, it was decided that Kazakhstan’s landscapes and iconic landmarks would be recreated using computer animation.

Instead of seeing this as a hindrance, Mack Animation’s creative team chose to free itself from the usual limitations on such a project, instead creating virtual shots that would’ve been impossible to do with a helicopter.

Through the final film, riders fly extremely low and fast, go underwater and even find themselves in the middle of a rocket launch at Baikonur, where they are launched into outer space. The final result is a flying theatre experience that gives a one-of-a-kind tour of Kazakhstan, while also creating a thrilling experience.

CREDIT: MACK ANIMATION


“The flying theatre is part of a government initiative to boost tourism in the country,” said Rothaug. “The location already features the Unesco heritage site and is an ancient cultural centre, so it was an obvious choice to build on that idea.”

The entire ride experience follows the overarching theme of Karavansaray, which is themed around the history of Turkistan. This also follows through to other areas of the complex, where guests can interact with historical figures, national sports and local crafts, while also taking in several live shows. The mall also offers a Family Entertainment Centre, featuring an “entertaining journey into Kazakh history” with several children’s attractions, including a spinning coaster, drop tower, teacups, bumper cars and more.

“The complex offers retail, but also hotels and more entertainment like a lake show, an indoor horse show, and the FEC,” said Rothaug. “It’s not your traditional mall - it reflects the ancient architecture of the neighbouring Unesco site and has a lot of outdoor areas to explore. It lives from the atmosphere and tells the history of the ‘Turkic World’.



According to Brogent, shopping centres have proven successful destinations for flying theatre attractions. ‘FlyOver America’ is one of its installations that has been running at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, since 2016.

Altyn Samruk at Karavansaray is one of many flying theatre projects around the world that Brogent has continued to work on this past year despite the challenges of COVID-19. The company expects that 20 projects will be completed and ready to open this year in countries including the US, China, the UK, Denmark, Canada, Japan, and Vietnam.

As for the latest addition in Kazakhstan, Brogent says the ride has been very well received since launch, both from a public perspective and from the mall’s operator, Rixos.

“The flying theatre is the major attraction at the Karavansaray complex,” said Rothaug. “It’s a brand new experience type for the Kazakh audience and in connection with the local stories told, it’s a great experience, not only to have fun but also to learn about the roots of Kazakh history.”


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A flight through history: Brogent develops Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre as part of government-backed tourist development | Planet Attractions
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A flight through history: Brogent develops Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre as part of government-backed tourist development

Kazakhstan has welcomed the country’s first flying theatre ride with Brogent Technologies behind the landmark new attraction




The egg-shaped dome represents the nest of the mythical bird Samruk and its golden egg   Credit: Brogent

Media-based attractions manufacturer Brogent Technologies has built Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre, with its i-Ride technology utilised as a part of the Karavansaray mega-development in the city of Turkistan.

Bringing a number of firsts to the region in an attempt to draw in tourists, Karavansaray combines Kazakhstan's history and traditions to create a modern visitor experience, bringing together a shopping mall, dining destination, two themed hotels and an entertainment centre.



The destination - the largest mall complex in central Asia - has been designed to look as though it has come right out of the pages of an Eastern fairytale. To complement this theming, the flying theatre - called Altyn Samruk - is styled after a giant golden egg inside a nest, with the ride acting as an anchor attraction for the mixed-use destination.

The ride experience - which lasts around 15 minutes including a pre-show - tells the tale of the growth of Kazakh culture with the mythical bird Samruk. On the ride, guests are taken with Samruk on a flight through history, starting at the Great Silk Road and travelling all the way through to modern Kazakhstan.

In terms of the ride’s development, management at Karavansaray selected Brogent’s i-Ride system, as it offers complete flexibility in movement with six degrees of freedom. This technology was paired with several companies to create the overall experience.

CREDIT: CHRIS LANGE CREATIVE STUDIO BERLIN


Executive creative director Chris Lange developed all entertainment concepts with his Creative Studio Berlin. Following the client brief, Lange and his team extended the experience beyond the main show and developed a complete standalone experience concept including the preshow area, ensuring the attraction was all encompassing from start to finish.

“Our main contribution was to make sure that the ride system fitted perfectly inside the iconic building that mimics the golden egg from Samruk,” Brogent’s Stefan Rothaug tells Planet Attractions. “It’s always a welcome challenge for us to work with architects and construction companies to fit the theatres to specification inside different buildings.”



One of the main challenges for the ride’s development has been the ongoing global pandemic.

“We had sent a team of engineers and supervisors to the site at a time where the country was officially closed for travel,” explains Rothaug. “So we could do this, we had to acquire special visas from the Kazakh government and had to be very flexible with our flight schedules.

“With most of the ride’s installation happening in late 2020 and early 2021, we would find flights often got cancelled and the travel regulations were constantly changing, which proved to be a big challenge.”



Altyn Samruk also complements a nearby World Heritage site. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi sits in the northeastern part of Turkistan, with the historic site dating back to the 14th century.

Sauran and the area around the Mausoleum are just one of the eye-catching sites featured in the flying ride film, which was produced by Mack Animation.

CREDIT: MACK ANIMATION


Due to Covid-19 and the resulting travel limitations, the big challenge in film production for the flying theatre was that it had to be produced remotely without the use of a helicopter for recording the sweeping landscapes.

As a result, it was decided that Kazakhstan’s landscapes and iconic landmarks would be recreated using computer animation.

Instead of seeing this as a hindrance, Mack Animation’s creative team chose to free itself from the usual limitations on such a project, instead creating virtual shots that would’ve been impossible to do with a helicopter.

Through the final film, riders fly extremely low and fast, go underwater and even find themselves in the middle of a rocket launch at Baikonur, where they are launched into outer space. The final result is a flying theatre experience that gives a one-of-a-kind tour of Kazakhstan, while also creating a thrilling experience.

CREDIT: MACK ANIMATION


“The flying theatre is part of a government initiative to boost tourism in the country,” said Rothaug. “The location already features the Unesco heritage site and is an ancient cultural centre, so it was an obvious choice to build on that idea.”

The entire ride experience follows the overarching theme of Karavansaray, which is themed around the history of Turkistan. This also follows through to other areas of the complex, where guests can interact with historical figures, national sports and local crafts, while also taking in several live shows. The mall also offers a Family Entertainment Centre, featuring an “entertaining journey into Kazakh history” with several children’s attractions, including a spinning coaster, drop tower, teacups, bumper cars and more.

“The complex offers retail, but also hotels and more entertainment like a lake show, an indoor horse show, and the FEC,” said Rothaug. “It’s not your traditional mall - it reflects the ancient architecture of the neighbouring Unesco site and has a lot of outdoor areas to explore. It lives from the atmosphere and tells the history of the ‘Turkic World’.



According to Brogent, shopping centres have proven successful destinations for flying theatre attractions. ‘FlyOver America’ is one of its installations that has been running at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, since 2016.

Altyn Samruk at Karavansaray is one of many flying theatre projects around the world that Brogent has continued to work on this past year despite the challenges of COVID-19. The company expects that 20 projects will be completed and ready to open this year in countries including the US, China, the UK, Denmark, Canada, Japan, and Vietnam.

As for the latest addition in Kazakhstan, Brogent says the ride has been very well received since launch, both from a public perspective and from the mall’s operator, Rixos.

“The flying theatre is the major attraction at the Karavansaray complex,” said Rothaug. “It’s a brand new experience type for the Kazakh audience and in connection with the local stories told, it’s a great experience, not only to have fun but also to learn about the roots of Kazakh history.”


 



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