THE BIG IDEA

The Big Idea was a Millennium Project near Irvine, on Scotland’s west coast.

The Big Idea was an ‘Invention Centre’, rather than a science centre and many of the exhibits were based around the research of the famous scientist, and namesake of the Nobel Prizes, Alfred Nobel, who produced dynamite at this location for many years.

D J Willrich Ltd (DJW) integrated the AV systems for a number of exhibits, for example in a puppet theatre where Nobel Prize winners ‘perform’, but the main work was in two theatres. One is a lecture theatre in which DJW created a fully operational conference facility with audio visual and lighting elements.

DJW also developed a motion base theatre, installing, programming and controlling a 6 degree of freedom motion base with automatic safety rails, moving and strobe lighting effects, and surround sound. The sound system had a significant bass element to provide the rumble and explosions as the specially produced video told the story of man’s adaptation of explosive elements for his own benefit – a story very fitting for the site.

Unfortunately The Big Idea suffered from a lack of visitors, possibly due to its remote location and the opening of a significant science centre in Glasgow, and it closed in 2003.