Stephen Montoya
This is what the construction looks like inside what will be the newly revamped Jane and John Justin Omni theater.
Like many a Fort Worthian some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around field trips to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Skeletal remains of dinosaurs would awaken our imaginations as we wondered the hallowed halls of history at this iconic institution. Almost at every turn, we would read and learn about new and interesting science and historical facts. But let’s be honest, what we were really there for was the Omni Theater.
Originally opened in 1983, this iconic Cowtown theater was the very first IMAX dome in the southwest. However, over the years, wear and tear started to creep up on this over 40-year-old structure, making this once bustling theater an artifact of history itself. For several years the theater sat dormant until an initiative to upgrade and revamp it was taken on by former museum president Orlando Carvalho and several museum supporters, including the City of Fort Worth.
Stephen Montoya
Last year, on June 13, Officials put on their obligatory hard hats and got busy busting down a wall in the foyer of this iconic Fort Worth space to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Omni. Since then, demolition of the old structure has been completed as well as most if not all of the new skeletal structure that will be the backing for the theater’s new 8k digital tech. This new dome, which measures 40’ tall, and 80’ in diameter will consist of all new 10x10 inch magnetized digital panels.
Heading up this project, along with Bennett Partners, is Byrne Construction, the company that helped build the first iteration of the Omni in the late 70s. Plus, Cosm, a global tech company, has developed the software that will be placed on the dome itself. Besides the dome, the foyer area that used to have a floor divided into upper and lower levels is now all one level, making it easier to traverse for anyone with a disability.
FWMSH
With so much excitement surrounding the Omni’s potential opening in the Fall, we took a quick tour of the structure to see how progress is coming.
“We’re already booking people who want to do holiday parties or conferences,” Abigail Hofbauer, marketing manager for the FWMSH says while walking through the active construction site inside the theater.
As we approach the entrance area that was once located on a lower level, I can see the old-school projection room everyone from the 80s and early 90s would’ve seen on their way into the theater. Although this new state-of-the-art dome doesn’t use this antiquated equipment, Hofbauer verifies the museum will still keep it where it is for nostalgic purposes.
After climbing up a series of winding stairs I was pleasantly surprised to see how much work had already been completed on this multi-million dollar rebuild. So far, the new entryway has been completed. The external structure of the dome is still undergoing some construction, but what is already visible is the shape of things to come
FWMSH
“It's comprised of almost 12,000 individual panels at an 8K resolution, and almost 1,300 power supplies feed this beast,” Christian Williams, project coordinator with Byrne Construction says. It's 120 KVA with a 12,000-watt sound system and a 10,000-watt server system.”
Also, instead of giant rolls of film being run at extremely hot temps, all of the images that will appear on this new LED screen can be uploaded and maintained with the use of a tablet or iPad. Williams also verified that the resolution on this screen will be much higher than that on the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“It'll be its own network that you could connect to either with HDMI in the server room or even with an iPad or your phone. And you can cast to it like it's a TV in your living room,” he says.
Besides the upgrades to the tech, construction crews have also created an ADA compliant seating area on the top aisle where the seating will be. In the front will be a platform where teachers and speakers can give lectures and lessons using the tech and the dome to illustrate their subject matter. But for now, construction continues on the steel frame.
Since this is a huge undertaking, Hofbauer says she’s been chronicling every step almost every day.
“We've been coming every week to take photos of just what's happening, what's coming,” she says. We’ve also placed a time lapse camera to watch the kind of buildup of the new structure.”
With so many pieces still left to tweak and try out, Hofbauer says the museum is looking at opening the Omni in the fall.
“We’d love to have a hard opening date, but we’re just not there yet,” she says. “But we’re looking forward to seeing this project completed and can hardly wait to see what the screen is going to look like when it’s finished.”
