Asia’s City of Angels Gets To Know THE MINISTRY OF SOUND

After 10 successful years of providing dance music to the masses in the UK and Ibiza, The Ministry of Sound (or MOS) has decided to look further afield for expansion of its operational area. In association with Luminar PLC, with their wealth of experience in the UK Club Market and Convent Entertainments, a company with much knowledge and numerous outlets in Thailand, it was decided to make the Ministry’s first foray into the Far East in Bangkok, Thailand.

MOS Thailand is impressive to say the least. The tremendous looming façade, its grand entrance ramp and massive steel doors give patrons an inkling of what to expect when they get inside. The club is split across three floors comprising a Lounge cum Chill Out room on the ground floor, the Main Arena on the first floor and Members/VIP Rooms on the second floor.

The MOS Thailand management approached Martin Professional Pte Ltd in early October 2001 with regards to lighting up the place. Martin Professional in turn put their designer Steve Rawlins on the job. After consultation with Neil, the Interior Designer, Peter Bowden, the Project Director & Richard Taylor, the General Manager, came up with a design that satisfied all parties.

Starting from the front, Steve decided to greet visitors to the venue with a wall of ever-changing colour topped by a Ministry of Sound Illuminated sign. 11 Martin Exterior 200’s provided the background colour and are complemented by a Mac 500 which is used to project the Ministry Logo and sponsors or private function logos onto the frontage and surrounding buildings. In fact several private functions have used the façade to give the first introduction to their corporate identity by the use of colour.

Moving inside, each end of the two entrance corridors, one leading to the Arena and one leading to the Lounge, there are Imagescans projecting the MOS Logo on the floor and walls.

On the ground floor, the dance floor is handled by a combination of 6 MiniMac Profiles & 5 MiniMac Wash fixtures. Effects lighting takes the form of 3 Martin Wizards and for added mid-air and logo projection effects, 2 Martin Pro 918s are employed.

The main rig comprises 13 Martin Pro 918s for mid air and fast moving effects, 4 Mac 600s to add colour and strobing in colour, 5 Wizards and 4 Atomic 3000s for the "WAKE UP" effect! Control is by the Martin LightJockey.

The VIP opening was held in December and the venue has welcomed capacity crowds ever since. It is also climbing the corporate event ladder, having hosted functions for Major Watch & Clothing manufacturers.