United States. Opened in 1894, St. Louis Union Station is a former train station converted into a hotel and leisure complex, considered one of the most emblematic historic buildings in the city of St. Louis, in the United States.
Its Grand Hall, which once hosted railway passengers, now functions as a main lobby, event space and lounge area. In this environment, The Grand Hall Experience is developed, a proposal that combines projection mapping on its ornate ceiling of about 20 meters high with lighting, music and narration.
The award-winning experience has recently undergone a major technological upgrade that includes new projection systems, media servers and revamped content. DreamLab Immersive has been responsible for the design and installation of the system, selecting Christie Griffyn® 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors and 1DLP laser projectors from the Jazz Series to create a next-generation immersive environment.
"Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) and DreamLab identified an opportunity to reinforce the visual and emotional impact of the experience," said John Miceli, founder and executive creative director of DreamLab Immersive. "The main objective was to update the proposal to current technological standards, with higher resolution, smoother refresh rates, richer color reproduction and more dynamic shows, all while preserving the architectural integrity and essence of the space."
DreamLab Immersive selected two Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors for ceiling end mapping. With 50,000 lumens of brightness each, these devices allow the daytime brightness of the space to be exceeded, making it possible to perform shows during the day. In addition, twelve DWU2400-JS 1DLP laser projectors, with a combined output of 285,000 lumens, cover the vaulted ceiling.
"With the new projection hardware and server capacity, we have expanded coverage and re-rendered all existing content in 16K resolution at 60 frames per second, bringing greater clarity, depth and fluidity of motion to each scene," explains Miceli.
"The new projectors have allowed us to work on a wider canvas, reinterpret the original content and add new pieces that expand the narrative. In addition, we are developing two completely new shows that will premiere this year, bringing to 12 the total of renewed and newly created experiences screened each night. Visitors will recognize familiar themes, historical railway references, architectural motifs and nature sequences, but with a higher level of detail, more dynamic transitions and improved chromatic fidelity," he added.
The initial response to the renewal has been, according to Miceli, "extremely positive". "Visitors are reacting with the same enthusiasm as when the experience was launched in 2014. We're getting feedback on the clarity and luminosity, and even those who already knew the space say they feel like they're seeing the Grand Hall in a whole new light."
