New Macau Resort Opens with Two Attractions Designed by Jeremy Railton

When the $1.9 billion Galaxy Macau opened its doors to visitors on May 15, it unwrapped a jewel unlike any the world has ever seen in the form of a brilliant, perfectly-cut, 11-ton diamond that materializes out of thin air to dazzle visitors. The Fortune Diamond is the latest attraction from the designer Jeremy Railton.

In fact, Galaxy boasts a pair of Railton's creations. In The Wishing Crystals, he has made it possible for guests to interact with a magical forest of giant gemstone crystals that float above a massive, mirrored pool of water -- creating a symphonic show of music and light.

"In both of these attractions, I was inspired by legends that tell of magical jewels that bestow good fortune and happiness to those who find them," said Railton, principal designer of Los Angeles-based Entertainment Design Corporation. "My intention was to create an experience in which the viewer through their discovery of these jewels feels as though they have entered a mystical realm of wonder, good fortune, and luck."

Creating the illusion of the world's largest diamond proved to be an amazing feat of engineering and artistry. More than 480 individual facets are precisely angled so that when The Fortune Diamond mysteriously appears in its waterfall-fountain setting in the atrium of the Galaxy casino, its surface catches no unwanted reflections of viewers or the surroundings. Railton worked with a team of artists, craftsmen, and engineers in California to construct The Fortune Diamond. Before it was carefully crated and shipped to its new home in Macau, Railton had the precious stone taken into the sunlight and raised by a giant crane so he could personally inspect it to guarantee it flawlessness.

With The Wishing Crystals, Railton has employed advanced motion sensor technology that activates unique visual effects within the crystals and a corresponding melody or beat when guests near the crystals. While one guest is enjoying a personal experience of the crystals, another guest will trigger a second group of singing crystals. The guests discover that the two pieces of crystal music enhance one another. As more guests join in, dormant groups of crystals come to life adding new musical elements and visual effects that enhance the overall sound/light experience, like different sections of a symphony orchestra. When all crystal groups are activated, guests enjoy a magnificent orchestral finale -- with more than 1.4 million possible sound and light permutations.

Immediately prior to the debut of his Galaxy attractions, Railton gave flight to the world's largest animatronic creatures -- a pair of 10-story mechanical birds who star in the Crane Dance spectacular at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. You canm read about it in the April issue of Lighting&Sound America.

Galaxy Macau iincludes more than 2,200 rooms, suites and villas across three world-class hotels: the award-winning and ultra-exclusive Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Japan's legendary Okura Hotels & Resorts, and the five-star Galaxy Hotel. Facilities include a selection of more than 50 food and beverage outlets, including the widest selection of pan-Asian cuisine in Macau; distinctive retail shopping; lush oasis gardens covering 52,000 sq. m., and the world's largest Sky Wave Pool, covering 4,000 dw. M. and featuring a 350-ton white sand beach.