FDNY Fire Zone
Located in the heart of Manhattan, the FDNY Fire Zone is an educational learning center that teaches visitors important lessons about fire and life safety, and provides a key understanding of the FDNY firefighters and EMS, their positions and tools, and how the FDNY responds to fire emergencies.
The Challenge
The theater’s narrow footprint had its own set of spatial challenges, limiting audience size and seating viewers close to the set.
The room needed to include a dramatic walk-in sequence, an introduction that would prepare visitors (primarily children) for the experience, eight different cautionary stories (before, during, and after the fire), escape plan tutorials, and an entry to a smoke corridor.
Project Vision
The project included one interactive, three linear media pieces, and a pre-show introduction to the immersive educational theater.
The theater features eight different fire scenarios and educator tools such as escape plan videos and a heat door demonstration. The theater elements are individually programmed, allowing the guides to choose moments and sequences appropriate to the current audience.
FDNY Foundation Video
FDNY Rockefeller Center entrance and front exhibit area
Theater entrance.
Living room: Before, during and after fire images using 3D mapping with projection, lighting and efx.
Theater set with lighting and projection; Image on the right shows the projected burned out bedroom in theater set.
Design & Execution
The 2020 opening of the FDNY Fire Zone signaled a new beginning for this education center. Having moved locations the new Fire Zone offers an exciting and enriched program and design layout.
Each room was carefully mapped with a projection grid so that the projections seamlessly aligned with the set. The set elements, lighting, projection, and sound worked as a cohesive and tightly choreographed experience. The touch panel control system gives the firefighter educator flexibility to customize the experience for audience size, age, and season. The result is a meaningful, engaging, and accessible experience where all ages can learn the essentials of fire safety.
Visitors can try on turnout gear, sit in the jump seat of a full-scale fire engine truck and listen to real conversations between officers, dispatch, and firefighters on their way to an emergency; there’s a large projection detailing the unfolding of an emergency event.
The result being an important, engaging, and accessible experience for all ages to learn the essentials of fire safety.
Bedroom theater set before and during fire.
Theater set using projection in all rooms.
Fire effects using projection, lighting, smoke and efx. Close up details on the oven, curtains and overloaded wires.
Slideshow
FDNY Fire Zone
Theater set with lighting (left image); Theater set with lighting and projection (right image)
FDNY Rockefeller Center entrance and front exhibit area
Theater entrance
Living room: Before, during and after fire images using 3D mapping with projection, lighting and efx.
Theater set with lighting and projection; Image on the right shows the projected burned out bedroom in theater set.
Bedroom theater set before and during fire
Theater set using projection in all rooms
Fire effects using projection, lighting, smoke and efx. Close up details on the oven, curtains and overloaded wires.