OTL Water Feature Adds Glimmer to $30 Million Pegasus

It’s one of the most talked about construction projects in South Florida. Some call it a conversation piece. Others describe it as iconic. But the owners at Hallandale Beach’s Gulfstream Park, a thoroughbred horse track and casino, have high hopes the imposing bronze sculpture will be a visitor-attracting landmark. OTL is adding its own brand of glimmer to the $30 million theming element by adding fire effects and a 210,500-gallon show fountain.

OTL is currently on-site installing the behind-the-scenes pipes, filtration system and control panels that will run the fountain show located at the base of the 110-foot figure. OTL craftsmen are also busy placing 350 fog nozzles and 116 water nozzles with LED lights, which will be precisely programmed to produce dramatic combinations of light, water dance, bursts and sprays. When choreographed to 14 pieces of music, the result promises to be a fanfare of the senses that packs enough punch to complement the 11-story replica of a mythical winged stallion slaying a fire-breathing dragon. OTL will bring the mortal combat to life with theatrical lighting and a fire effect capable of shooting 15 to 20 feet of fire from the dragon’s mouth.

“It’s a tall order,” quips OTL President Hugh F. Hughes, who is leading the design-build team completing the water feature for the larger-than-life themed icon.

“When designing a water feature or any themed entertainment element, we stay focused on the brand and the message our client wants to convey,” says Hughes. “In this instance, the owner wants to epitomize the strength and elegance of horses using classic imagery of good’s dominance over evil. Our music choices and fountain programming will support that premise by pairing fast-paced dynamic rhythms with moving, inspirational selections.”

The musical fountain show and the project’s extensive landscaping are expected to be complete this summer.

Although the 715-ton, crowd-stopping statue is one of the most out-of-the-ordinary projects OTL has worked around, OTL CEO J. Wickham Zimmerman explains that branding through use of iconic theming or imagery is successfully used throughout the theme park, gaming and tourism industries. Las Vegas’ Treasure Island attracted thousands of people with its original pirate ship show, and visitors to Disney still clamber to catch a first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle or Matterhorn Mountain.

“Visitors are attracted to the bold and unique,” says Zimmerman. “The reported selfies and buzz already surrounding Pegasus indicate this is a South Florida landmark in the making.”