Santiago del Estero-Argentina. The Soccer Museum is part of the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero. It has an important space dedicated to virtual reality, a special luxury e-sports room, where 4D technology and the most advanced LED lighting technology are part of the entertainment itself. Pablo Alfieri, the project’s lighting designer, based his project on fixtures made by CHAUVET DJ.

The new museum in Santiago is part of the most modern soccer stadium in the country. The Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, also called simply as Single Stadium, was inaugurated on March 4, 2021, when it served as the venue for the 2019 Argentine Super Cup match between Racing Club and River Plate.

When the government of Santiago del Estero contacted Door SRL to build a museum for the most modern soccer stadium in the world, it became clear that it was not going to be just one more of the many historical museums of the past. That is why a Museum of the Soccer of the Future was proposed, which would put the eternal soccer passion in the new technological key.

The Museum is considered a jewel of the first world, with interactive and virtual reality sectors. Sergio Dobrusin, Managing Partner of Door SRL, who served as director of architecture and project management, commented that “the project presented several challenges. Managing work during the pandemic was a hurdle. The other was to get the government of Santiago del Estero to dare to break with the stereotype of the typical soccer collection museum and accept an innovative and surprising proposal. Create something different and disruptive: a one-of-a-kind museum for our country and the world.”

Pablo Alfieri of Invisible Illumination, in close collaboration with Jorge Barcala and Maximiliano Moreno of NASH Engineering, were in charge of the integral lighting of this new museum.

The proposal to carry out the lighting design for the Football Museum was risky because it broke with the usual canons of football museums around the world. The most modern stadium deserved a museum that spoke about the future. To accomplish that, the attractions had to use the most advanced technologies, giving electronic sports a prominent place. And that could only be achieved with Chauvet lighting.

“In a production of this nature, balance must be sought. This case was no exception, since the desire for spectacularity and the technical needs of special effects, projections and lighting had to be reconciled with the limitations of budget, deadline and space in which the installation was implemented. We work so that technological solutions are at the service of this unique experience. Producing this project was a great honor and a great learning experience ”, assured Maximiliano Moreno, co-owner of NASH Engineering.

“In May 2020 we began our participation in this project. We traveled to see the stadium and the space under the stalls where the work would take place. Then we traveled in October to install the luminaires and to carry out the final programming of our lighting design”, recalled Pablo Alfieri.

The lighting design by Pablo Alfieri included 30 SlimPAR H6 USB, 6 Scorpion Dual RGB lasers, 8 Mini Kinta IRC, 8 Shocker Panel 180 USB strobes and 6 EVE E-50Z ellipsoidals, all from CHAUVET DJ.

“CHAUVET DJ’s SlimPAR H6 USBs helped me balance different looks live and during different broadcasts from the Soccer Museum. The fact that their lighting works with a sound active mode was a great advantage for our design ”, Pablo pointed out.

The SlimPAR H6 USB’s built-in dimming curves provide smooth LED fading, while its 6-in-1 LED technology generates a wide spectrum of natural-looking colors.

The decision to use the fixtures manufactured by Chauvet was an obvious one. “ This is our fourth job installing CHAUVET DJ products. The versatility, quality and reliability that they offer me, give me the peace of mind that the final result will be successful. We are very happy with the performance and technical support offered by Chauvet and its distributor NASH Engineering”, lighting designer Alfieri pointed out.

“Most of the time we have the same way of approaching the project: as a designer, I first see the physical space, then based on the script and the idea of ​​the production company, we get together with Jorge Barcala and Maxi Moreno to define the quantities and types of fixtures”, Alfieri commented.

“This project was divided into very different and versatile spaces. A microcinema, a soccer area, a bench of substitutes, video games, merchandising, etc. A lot of work went into creating a different climate in each area with the endless possibilities that Chauvet lighting technology offers us, ” continued the LD.

It is important to remember that much of the work was carried out in periods where, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, health protocols prevented the normal development of activities. “It was very difficult to work in the midst of a pandemic. We made a bubble with all the technicians that we travel, and we inhabited a common space. The stadium authorities swabbed us and took our temperature every time we entered to carry out our tasks. Luckily, we were able to do the work in a timely manner and without any infected within the staff”, said Pablo Alfieri.

The designer highlighted the participation of NASH Engineering in each of his projects; “They are always attentive to any change, doubt, or modification that one could raise, to find a solution. They and Chauvet are a guarantee of trust. I feel supported one hundred percent by them. They make my job simpler.”
The fixtures designed and manufactured by CHAUVET DJ create a soft look for the lighting design at the Museo del Fútbol in Santiago del Estero. At the same time they add dimensionality to the different spaces of the museum facilities.

Argentina has an e-Arena that houses the universe of e-Sports, an activity that is growing exponentially throughout the world. That’s where football goes. And in Estadio Único Madres de Ciudades it has the first Museum that includes e-soccer. A futuristic step that was possible thanks to the technological innovation of CHAUVET DJ.

Credits: Augusto Marrandino LATAM Stage