The Two70 Multifunctional Entertainment space on-board the Quantum of The Seas

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Cruise ships have become a very popular way of traveling around the world to exotic locations and making several stops along the way. They offer a holiday that is versatile and in the case of the Quantum of the Seas, total luxury. Today, cruise ships offer everything from ice skating rinks to swimming pools, fitness spas, gyms and much more. As technology gets better and better, some of the latest cruise ships make use of cutting edge innovations.

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The Quantum of the Seas is a superb example of this. It is the first of the Quantum Class ships under the watchful eye of Royal Caribbean and it is packed to the gills with the latest tech.

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The Two70 was designed by 5+ designs from California. The idea was to use the interior of the ship to be as efficient as possible by using what is termed as transformational space. The whole idea is to make spaces that can be multifunctional and used for other purposes in-between putting on performances.

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The ship doesn't just sail to the Caribbean, therefore the design had to be suitable for operating even if the ship was in rough seas. Two70 was designed as a performance venue that is very different and is packed with the latest technology. Some of which no one has ever seen on a cruise ship before. The name of the venue came about as the result of the 270 degree views from the stern of the ship which comes from the 9m inclined glass panels on the back of the indoor entertainment space.

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The Two70 takes up the height of three decks of the ship and offers a full bar, restaurant, library, a stage, bandstands and a dance floor which can be moved. All the lights and speakers needed for the stage and shows are embedded into the ceiling, floors and the walls.

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In the day, Two70 acts a common space that can be used for chilling out in, reading, holding meetings or lectures. At the night the space is transformed for parties, dancing and performances.

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Inspiration for the performances in Two70 came from some of the Avant-garde theaters. These are spaces where artists would turn old factories or garages into venues and where the actors would seemingly pop up from nowhere or descend from the ceiling. The whole aim of the design was to create experiences that are fully immersive for the guests.

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When undergoing the transformation from day use to night use, step one is a huge set of translucent blinds that come down over the windows. 18 3D projectors then cast a real time image of the view out of the window, this means that it looks almost as though nothing has changed. This image then slowly transforms to the backdrop required by the performance in magical fashion.

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When the show is ready to begin, dividers lower into the floor and all the chandeliers are raised so they are not in the line of sight. Trap doors along with hidden lifts and turntables located on the floor along with the ceiling mean that the aerialists and acrobats are able to emerge from seemingly nowhere. The experience for members of the audience is unique.

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Robots are one part of the show and these have an LCD display on their arms so they can work with the performers and the other elements in the show, this offers a feeling of depth. The robots were transformed from industrial models to have movements that were more like humans. The show is along the lines of that performed by Cirque du Soleil.

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One of the biggest things that the designers had to overcome with the design of Two70 was the fact that the ship is at sea and moves. Things such as light bulbs tend to unscrew themselves when the ship is swaying about. The design of the set and the space had to take this into account. All in all. the Quantum of the Seas is a remarkable vessel and the Two70 is a remarkable space.

[Image Source: 5+Design]