123 Panasonic DLP laser projectors were chosen to transform visitors’ understanding of the ancient city of Ephesus through an immersive, multi-sensory experience at The Ephesus Experience Museum.
Creating a modern immersive experience museum for the 3m visitors a year visiting the archaeological site of the ancient city of Ephesus was a major challenge. The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism wanted to ensure that the building was sensitively constructed at the UNESCO site while bringing to life the thriving ancient trading centre, one of the most important in the Mediterranean region.
The museum required an experience to touch all the senses and powerful projection technology to create realistic 360-degree visuals, vivid enough to captivate and educate visitors about the historical significance of Ephesus.
“Panasonic projectors have been fundamental in achieving our vision of an immersive historical experience. Their reliability and quality have allowed us to bring the story of Ephesus to life in a way that captivates and educates our visitors.” Eda Bildiricioglu, CEO DEM Museums
Bringing the vision to life
The Ephesus Experience offers an in-depth exploration of the ancient city’s rich history, from its founding to its peak as a major urban centre. For approximately 20 minutes, a storyteller in 17 languages guides visitors through three rooms, with each utilising advanced AV technology to allow visitors to walk the streets of the ancient city, to see the splendour of its buildings, and interact with its citizens.
The Museum is already an award winner, taking the Best Museum category earlier this year in the US Mondo-Dr Awards to honour prestigious projects in the exhibition and hospitality sector worldwide. The Ephesus Experience Museum, developed and operated by DEM Museums under the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has quickly established a reputation worldwide.
This engaging visitor experience includes 360° projections, 3D soundscapes, and multi-sensory elements such as fog and scents, which together create an engaging, vivid and educational experience that transports audiences back thousands of years.
In the First Hall, all of the wall, floor and angled ceiling images were created using the “mapping” technique. It combines very large and high-resolution images from very short distances with more than 33 Panasonic projectors devices and special ultra short throw lenses. When it’s time to leave the First Hall, special curtains that keep the sound and effects enclosed in the room, are automatically opened and guests are directed to the main hall.
When visitors enter the Main Hall, they are surrounded by monolithic images on the floor and walls and accompanied by the smell of the city environment. They pass through the 8-metre image-reflected columns and are suddenly walking on the streets of the ancient city.
They briefly pass through the 7-meter-high building, the first example of its kind in the world and experience the feeling of being in and a part of the great city. The immersive experience is created by projecting onto the 750m2 perforated seamless screen that covers four walls and becomes one with the 550m2 floor.
In the Main Hall, the one-of-a-kind earthquake mapping application is created using special lenses on a total of 90 Panasonic DLP projectors of varying brightness and colour quality. The earthquake vibrations and sound effects come from the walls equipped with special speakers and sound systems of the L’Acoustics L-ISA system.
Visitors feel like they are wandering through a real street, in a real city, at the moment they experience the earthquake. In the Third Hall, visitors are left alone with a giant replica of Artemis, the goddess of nature. The combination of LED screens, effects coming from the 40-speaker sound system and a narrative that includes different light shows at every moment contributes towards the immersive experience.
Visual quality and reliability
In total, 123 Panasonic DLP laser projectors were chosen to bring the visuals to life. These projectors deliver exceptional colour and image quality with 4K resolution and high brightness, essential for the museum’s large-scale projections using video mapping.
The Panasonic DLP projectors are easy to set-up with simplified workflows designed to blend images using multiple projectors easily and seamlessly. Their robust design and failover technology also means minimal maintenance and ensures consistent performance.
A wide range of Panasonic lenses, including Ultra Short Throw, were used to adapt the projection to the layout of each room, ensuring intense realism without impacting the visitor experience with shadows.
An unparalleled experience
Up to 150 experts from around the world collaborated on the project, which was completed within just 26 months in August 2023. The collaboration between Panasonic Connect Europe and distributor and system integrator Astel Profesyonel Goruntu Sistemleri A.S. has resulted in a world-class museum experience with the support of content creation by Marshmallow Laser Feast and exhibition design by Atelier Brückner.
Panasonic’s projection technology has significantly enhanced the Ephesus Experience Museum, enabling it to provide an unparalleled historical and educational experience.
Museum representative Eda Bildiricioglu, CEO of DEM Museums, said: “Panasonic projectors have been fundamental in achieving our vision of an immersive historical experience. Their reliability and quality have allowed us to bring the story of Ephesus to life in a way that captivates and educates our visitors.”
Visitors are now able to witness the grandeur of ancient Ephesus through state-of-the-art visual storytelling, making history both accessible and engaging.
