|
|
Solutions From Concept To Completion
Structural Engineering
Site Solutions From Concept To Completion
Civil Engineering
Solutions Where Land Meets Water
Marine + Coastal
Solutions From Procurement To Completion
Construction Engineering
Structural + Mechanical Specialists
Entertainment Engineering
Consultation, Design + Inspection
Facade + Building Envelope
Soil + Foundation
Geotechnical Engineering
Investigation + Litigation Support
Forensic Engineering
Live Performances
Museums + Art Displays
Pop-Ups
Signage
Studios + Sound Stages
TV + Film Production
Theaters
Theme Parks + Playplaces
Education
Colleges + Universities
Private + Specialty Schools
Public K-12
Energy
Solar Energy
Transmission Infrastructure
Wind Energy
Oil + Gas
Municipal
State
Federal
Senior Care
Hospitals
Outpatient Facilities
Heavy Industrial
Warehouse + Distribution Centers
Industrial Ports + Terminals
Berths, Piers + Wharves
Bulkheads
Ferry Landings, Ship Terminals
Floating Structures
Ports + Terminals
Marinas + Breakwaters
Transfer Stations
Bikeways + Trails
Esplanades
Garage + Parking Facilities
Parks + Public Spaces
Recreational Spaces
Streetscapes
Utility Infrastructure
Commercial
Community Facilities
Mixed-Use
Multifamily Residential
Airports
Bridges
Ports + Terminals
Rail Transportation
Roads + Highways
Ropeway + Linear Infrastructure
Floating Harbor Wetland
Albany Warehouse Drone Inspection + 3D Digital Twin Modeling
416 + 420 Kent Dynamic Highrise
Wittpenn Bridge
Tiffany Crane
Orlando Airport LED Displays
NYC Ferry
TSX Broadway
Multimodal Processing Plant
Grassy Point Road Bridge Replacement
LaGuardia Airport Terminal B
A leading full-service engineering firm renowned for our trusted, high quality, and innovative approach to solving complex challenges.

Cirque Du Soleil’s KA Theatrical Machinery

McLaren Engineering Group contributed technical and creative services for this multi-million-dollar, award-winning renovation of the MGM Grand Showroom in Las Vegas, NV for resident show “KA”. This Cirque du Soleil spectacular includes some of the world’s largest custom pieces of theatrical machinery.

A dynamic six-foot-tall sand cliff deck moves up to two feet per second, while the entire crane travels 70 feet vertically. At the same time its 25-by-50-foot performance platform rotates either clockwise or counter-clockwise and moves from a level position to a forward tilt of 100 degrees.

The tatami deck, registered at 75,000 pounds, has a 30-by-30-foot performance platform that slides out 48 feet. Using a two-stage mechanism, similar to a drawer slide, the system makes the platform appear as if it is floating.

Stage Machinery Design

McLaren’s design pushed the envelope of theatrical machinery design, while adhering to acceptable measures of safety and reliability. This started with “parametric” studies of conceptual machinery solutions. The studies correlated cost with a range of variables (i.e., geometry, weight and speed versus horsepower), and assisted Cirque du Soleil with selecting systems that worked best for them.

McLaren worked on the Tatami Deck, Gantry Crane and its Sand/Cliff Deck, and provided project coordination through both construction and installation. For the 300,000-pound payload Gantry Crane, McLaren coordinated with eight firms on the design and construction. During its installation, McLaren worked alongside numerous fabricators, union trades and divisions of Cirque du Soleil’s production staff to maintain specific tolerances and the integrity of the design. McLaren successfully worked within the constraints of the production’s aggressive timetable to provide technical support and a creative vision for the machinery.

Rigging

This project and its massive footprint triggered a complete reconstruction of the theater’s audience and performance spaces. McLaren provided the engineering for a variety of production rigging systems, house arbor guide seismic upgrades and supports for rigging elements throughout the project. The innovative, once-in-a-generation design came with a 15-year production expectancy and adhered to acceptable measures of safety and reliability.

Award Winning

In 2008, the project won the Thea Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement.

Award Winner
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Year Completed
2004
Client
Marnell Corrao Associates; Owner: MGM Grand & Cirque du Soleil

Image Credit for Images 2, 4, 5 and 6 Photograph Reproduced Courtesy of Stufish