“The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in ‘the war
that changed the world’-why it was fought, how it was won and what it means
today-so that generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by
what they learn.” Those words epitomize the tour awaiting visitors to the historic
site in New Orleans, and serve as an AV journey guide. Indeed, we’re entering a
new dimension of sound and sight.
The museum’s multiple AV projects have evolved over several phases, with more in
the works, thanks to a $370 million capital expansion that will quadruple the size of
the original facility. Multiple consultants and integrators have been involved in the
project, and we spoke with Rob Pourciau, Director of Artistic
Engineering/Audiovisual at JBA Consulting Engineers in New Orleans.
A key attraction is the 250-seat Solomon Victory Theatre, home of the 4D cinematic
experience, Beyond All Boundaries, which literally moves and shakes the audience.
The theatre is equipped with a 120-foot-wide perforated curved projection screen
and left/centre/right audio courtesy of six PNX151T loudspeakers.
Nine PNX82 loudspeakers provide front fill to the first three rows, while four
DRS18-2B subwoofers add the essential impact to accompany the experience. “We
couldn’t stick the subs in a typical location due to structural limitations,” explains
Pourciau, “So we flew them directly above the catwalk. We designed the subs to
couple with each other, so they really focus the energy right down on the patrons.”
Another popular spot in the museum is the U.S. Freedom Pavilion/Boeing Centre, a
multipurpose exhibit space. Three diagonal screens cover the walls, with more than
a dozen vintage planes suspended overhead. Five Iconyx IC16 arrays and 13 CF61
point-source systems enable the system to be easily reconfigured based on the
exhibit in the space.
Elsewhere in the museum, the Stage Door Canteen is a classic 250-seat, 1940s-era
venue offering evening and matinee performances of headline acts, signature
musical productions, big bands and dancing. “It’s a true performance space,” says
Pourciau. “It has a main floor and a balcony with seating. It can be used as a
restaurant with live entertainment. There’s a proscenium stage like a small
theatre.” The space is outfitted with left and right arrays of three TRX121
loudspeakers each, along with six SGX41 boxes for front fills. A pair of BGS15
subwoofers provides low frequency coverage.
Renkus-Heinz looms large in other areas of the museum as well, including a pair of
Iconyx IC16 steered arrays in the atrium of the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, a
challenging space that supports large events and banquets, including multi-media
and live entertainment.
The museum offers a wide range of other exhibits and spaces – too many to cover
here (for a detailed look at the systems, see Jim Stokes’ original article in the
March 2016 issue of Sound & Communications). With continued expansion over the
coming decade, the National WWII Museum’s future looks bright, and Renkus-Heinz
will continue to be a part of it.
