MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, the home of professional baseball Seibu Lions. Opened in 1979 as Seibu Lions Stadium. After that, it was converted into a dome in 1999 and renamed Seibu Dome. Since 2017, it has become a MetLife Dome due to naming rights. From December 2017, the renovation plan for the entire MetLife Dome area started. In March 2021, the renovation work was completed with a total construction cost of 18 billion yen.
MetLife Dome in Tokorozawa. It is a stadium that has been loved by the citizens of the prefecture and fans for a long time as the home of Saitama Seibu Lions since 1979.
In recent years, the stadium has been used for various purposes such as holding live events as well as baseball. In fact, at MetLife Dome, “Momoiro Clover Z” is holding concerts and events from 2012 to 2019. For this reason, more and more stadiums are being reborn as entertainment spaces that can accommodate a variety of events as well as eliminate aging.
According to Mr. Daisaku Kato, General Manager of Business Development Department of Seibu Lions, this renovation plan “has two purposes: to create a ball park that coexists with nature with a sense of openness and to strengthen team development.”
The renovation plan was divided into three phases, mainly during the off-season. LED lighting will be in the second phase.Larger vision, audio equipment, and signage construction were carried out in the third phase.
Mr. Daisaku Kato, General Manager of Business Development Department, Seibu Lions
In addition, it aims to provide new value that customers of all ages can enjoy. One example is the refurbishment of seats. In addition to regular seats, we have increased the number of seat types from 14 to 28, which is double the conventional 14 types, in order to provide a variety of watching styles, such as preparing a party terrace behind the net and premium seats. As a result, women’s groups and families, who are on the rise, can enjoy baseball with greater peace of mind.
The spectator seats were renovated in order, divided into the second and third periods. The photo shows the party terrace behind the net, which has been in operation since March 2009. Available seats for 6, 7 and 8 people
There is also a new “American Express Premium Lounge” that is fully air-conditioned and allows you to watch the game right behind the batter’s box. A buffet and bar are also provided, so you can have a higher-grade experience.
The contents of the renovation range from the renovation of seats to the improvement of the environment such as expanding the inside of the hall and building a commercial facility “Shishi Building”, a large goods shop “Flags”, and a restaurant “Craft Beards” on the outside of the roof. Mr. Kato says, “By enriching the area outside the roof, we are providing new value so that people can enjoy the time when they are wandering around places other than the audience seats.”
The train plaza outside the dome has also been renovated for families.
Enrich the stadium experience with lighting and sound
In this MetLife Dome renovation plan, Panasonic was in charge of LED lighting inside the dome, audio equipment linked to it, video equipment such as vision on the back screen, and a comprehensive production. The MetLife Dome is equipped with 508 new field lighting floodlights, 40 spatial lighting floodlights, and four Victory Road lighting.
Panasonic was in charge of controlling the video, sound, etc., including the conversion of LED lighting inside the dome.
This time, we adopted the “Studio beam LED floodlight 1kW type for 4K8K broadcasting” with a daylight color of 5600K and a brightness of 70,000 lm. It is an LED floodlight that also supports super slow shooting, suppresses flicker even in TV broadcasts, and supports 0 to 100% DMX control.
Regarding this lighting fixture, Mr. Hiroyuki Kitamoto of the Sports Lighting Division, Engineering Center, Engineering Center, Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. said, “There are two major features. One is that the color reproduction range is much wider than the conventional lighting, so high-definition broadcasting. From 4K8K broadcasting to 4K8K broadcasting, we can deliver high-quality images compatible with next-generation broadcasting. The second is that it supports DMX control. Until now, baseball fields and stadiums have production equipment required separately from competition lighting. However, while using this lighting fixture as a competition lighting, it can excite customers as a production lighting. “
Mr. Hiroyuki Kitamoto, Sports Lighting Section, Specialized Market Engineering Department, Engineering Center, Lighting Division, Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
508 LED floodlights for field lighting mounted on the ceiling
This DMX control effect is a common protocol that is also used for stage effects, and it is possible to control each lighting unit by giving it an address. By using the characteristics of LEDs that can be turned on and off in an instant, various effects can be achieved. At MetLife Dome, we have already created multiple lighting patterns and incorporated them into the system so that they can be played back with a single touch when a home run scene or a victory is confirmed.
Detailed specifications of LED floodlight
What is more important for stadium lighting is that it is not dazzling when viewed from the field. Therefore, by narrowing the irradiation range of each light, the glare source where the light solidifies and becomes dazzling is dispersed. It is said that troubles such as the lighting being dazzling and the ball being difficult to see can be prevented. To reduce this glare, Panasonic uses the original software “LP-VR” that can perform 3DCG simulation to verify the glare in advance in virtual space. After the installation, it was confirmed that the players and team members were confirmed before it was OK.
Since it is actually introduced after verifying the glare in the virtual environment, the introduction in the field proceeds smoothly.
In this renovation, not only the lighting inside the dome, but also the main vision on the back screen has been increased from the conventional horizontally long one to the “L vision” with a height of 13m and a width of 46m. This made it possible to project player information and replay images in a large size. In addition, the sub-vision that can be seen from the outfield seats and the DAZN deck vision that was newly installed on the concourse on the 3rd base side are also newly installed, so that you can enjoy the game anywhere in the dome area.
A large main vision introduced in the third phase of construction.Various information can be displayed
The introduction of new audio equipment is also an important factor in building an entertainment space. Before the renovation, it was operated with 6 speakers installed on the left and right of the vision, but depending on the seat, the sound was delayed or the sound pressure was low and it was difficult to hear. Therefore, by arranging 223 Bose speakers throughout the dome, the sound was greatly improved.
Lighting, vision, sound, and signage in the facility can all be managed by the comprehensive production system in the broadcasting room (control room). With one click, you can create a production that links vision, sound, lighting, and signage.
A control room behind the back net that manages images, lighting, and sound.Controlled by multiple staff
Stand in the batter’s box and experience the brightness from the player’s point of view
At this experience session, not only was I able to actually enter the field with the feelings of the players, but I was also able to stand in the batter’s box and see. When I actually looked at the outfield, the audience seats, and the lighting from the batter’s box, the light was soft and bright enough, but I didn’t feel much glare.
Looking up from the field.You can see that each light is shining moderately and the lights do not overlap.
I also had the experience of displaying those CG effects on each vision and signage when hitting a foul, hit, or home run. There was also a production in which the lights turned counterclockwise as the batter who hit the home run circled the diamond. By combining video, lighting, and sound, the inside of the dome was integrated and livened up.
From an old-fashioned baseball field to a baseball park. The renovation work of the MetLife Dome area, which took a long period of about 3 years and 3 months, was completed. It is said that many customers have said that the sound has improved, the starting members have announced, and many have liked the home run production. In addition, the comprehensive production system is evaluated by the company as contributing to the power of production and the fostering of a sense of unity.
The signage of the shop in the stadium is also displayed as a home run
The number of lighting has been reduced by 15% from 648 to 548 by using LEDs. The annual electricity bill has been reduced by about 60% from 44.7 million yen to 18 million yen. In addition, the low maintenance of LEDs has significantly reduced running costs.
MetLife Dome has been reborn as a multipurpose entertainment space that can accommodate not only baseball but also concerts and other events.
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