Orientarium in Łódź - the most modern facility of its kind in Europe uses Sony monitors.

On 29 April 2022, a new European tourist destination was launched:  the Orientarium in Łódź. It is the largest complex in Europe showcasing the fauna and flora of Southeast Asia. The exhibition area is divided into four themed sections. Visitors can enjoy a 26-metre-long underwater tunnel with 1,300 species of fish and 35 species of animals in the Orientarium complex alone. There we can see, among others, Sumatran orangutans, record-size gavial crocodiles and the largest Indian elephant in Europe. Care was taken to ensure access to information so that everyone can learn more about the animals living at the facility.

The Orientarium features a total of 29 43-inch Sony Bravia FW-43BZ53F monitors, integrated with the TEOS system with a Digital Signage licence. This ensures fast and convenient design and publication of content on the individual devices. The solution provides visitors with information about the Orientarium’s residents, the animals’ feeding times and habits, as well as their sponsors. Messages are also displayed in the lifts. Monitors located in the corridors display current information about the city and its attractions. 

The Orientarium complex was also equipped with 10 Sony VPL-PHZ series laser projectors, which are used in both the exhibition and the office area.

The Orientarium in Łódź is not only the largest, but also the most modern facility of its kind in Europe.

Work commenced in September 2018 and the result is truly impressive. The entrance to the Zoo and, at the same time, to the Orientarium, is the so-called entrance pavilion, with four interactive monitors used for displaying materials about the sponsors as well as data about the facility and the city. Two monitors were installed on the wall to provide useful transport information, including the timetable for MPK Łódź trams.

In addition to ticket offices, a restaurant and a café, this building also houses a conference centre. It includes a plenary room capable of accommodating 350 people. The space was designed so that it can be rearranged into 2 or 3 smaller rooms depending on the needs. As a result, the centre offers six meeting rooms of various sizes equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia solutions. Seven Sony VPL-PHZ projectors were placed in the conference rooms. The elegant and compact laser devices display image with excellent parameters. Minimal maintenance requirements and long service life make them the optimal choice for such applications.

Four tablets are placed in front of the rooms to facilitate bookings. They display occupancy information and make it possible to schedule a booking.

The second building is the elephant house. Visitors can see the animals not only in the standard way, but also from above and from an underwater perspective. The elephant pool is three metres deep and, thanks to the glazed surface, it is possible to watch the elephants bathing. On the wall, either side of the window to the pool, special contents prepared for visitors are displayed. Baths take place at 11 AM, but guests visiting the Orientarium at other times can watch footage displayed using Sony VPL-PHZ60 projectors.  Multimedia displays take place on both sides of the pool window. The public can watch footage and read the information presented. Another part of the complex called Celebes is the home of, among others, Macaws and oriental otters. The whole building features six 43-inch Sony Bravia FW-43BZ35F professional monitors. This line of monitors display excellent quality 4K image with high brightness and high contrast. At the same time, the equipment is energy-efficient. Each device features secure casing and is designed to enhance the visitors’ experience at the facility and to provide information about the animals living there. Seven such monitors were installed in the Oceanarium. The magnificent colours of coral reefs beautifully reproduced on the Sony Bravia FW-43BZ35F monitor create a perfect complement to the experience of this unique place. A huge attraction is the 26-metre underwater tunnel and seven ocean tanks. One monitor was installed on the first floor, where visitors can see the back of the shark pool. Here, information about feeding times and the habits of these animals is displayed.

A VPL-PHZ60 projector was installed at the side entrance to the shark aquarium. The projector delivers image with excellent parameters and offers high brightness at the level of 6,000 lumens. The lifespan of the projector is 20,000 hours, which means it will last at least six years as the Zoo is open nine hours a day, 364 days a year. It is only closed on 1 November.

The Orientarium complex was also equipped with 10 Sony VPL-PHZ series laser projectors, which are used in both the exhibition and the office area.

– The client clearly indicated that the system needed to be reliable and that the warranty provided for the equipment had to cover a minimum of five years. The solution was to be consistent for both the information monitors in the lifts and the monitors throughout the facility. Moreover, a room booking system was also required. All this meant that we could not compromise anything and had to choose a durable and proven solution, which is why we went for the TEOS system and Sony devices. Furthermore, we knew that the project may be further developed and that the TEOS system and SONY solutions would allow us to expand and modify unlike anything else – says Marcin Kaliński of 3Isav, the company responsible for the implementation. – We did not have to wait long for our conviction about the development potential of the system to be confirmed. Still before the launch of the Orientarium, we added 3 Sony laser projectors to display Digital Signage content using the TEOS system.

TEOS players were installed in all six lifts, allowing Digital Signage content to be displayed. The published content is managed via a web browser, which means that it can be changed using any device with access to the Zoo’s local network. The system controls the switching on and off of the monitors. TEOS provides a diagnostic tool. It can be used to remotely check what a particular monitor is displaying and whether it is working properly. Such a diagnostic tool is particularly valuable in large facilities because of the time that would be required for an audit of all the equipment. The conference centre is connected to the Orientarium by a glass walkway.