Urban Projection Mapping Brings Buildings to Life Worldwide
A form of urban art is popping up in cities throughout the world. Urban Projection Mapping, as it is loosely known, is the art of creating video displays that make buildings spring to life in light and color. A cousin of augmented reality, this global delight has begun shaping how we advertise, celebrate, and inspire.
From projecting onto the sails of Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House to Romania’s massive parliament building, here are some of the many imaginative projects that have occurred around the globe in recent years.
Projection Mapping in India
India’s biggest projection mapping project thus far occurred during the country’s Republic Day in 2023. This year, New Delhi was transformed with a projection mapping display synchronized with a drone display (of 3,500 drones!) Beating Retreat 2023 featured a 3D anamorphic projection mapped onto New Delhi’s Secretariat Buildings. And it was the first time a show of its kind had been projected onto the imposing buildings. The 14-minute show included fourteen Pixera systems, including one Pixera Director license, bolstered a Beating Retreat set-up that included 61 × Christie 20k-lumen laser projectors, a further eight 40W RGB laser projectors, and lighting comprising 96 × moving heads and 180 × LED PAR lights. See a video here.
Projection Mapping in Australia
Created for the 50th anniversary of Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House and projected onto the sails in October 2022, this recent projection mapping project, From the Sails: Light Years, was a visual celebration of the history and people of the venue. Art Processors created an original film artwork projected across the recognizable “sails.” It was a magical experience that used their innovative live audio-visual synchronization technology to envelop audiences in the musical narrative and storytelling – without needing to download any app. With one scan of a QR code, anyone watching the spectacle could listen to the soundtrack on their device wherever they were. Watch a video of it here.
SEE MORE EXAMPLES OF URBAN PROJECTION MAPPING ON AVIXA'S XCHANGE!
A University of Central Florida double-alum with a Master’s in Digital Media, Iulia Popescu is a content creator who loves bringing people together over shared interests. As AVIXA's Coordinator of Digital Content, she produces articles on a myriad of technology topics. She has been working on virtual reality projects lately, transforming folk tales into VR narratives.
