The main attraction at most malls may be the shopping, but that’s not at all the case in Das Schloss, located in Berlin. In fact, the best thing you can get at Das Schloss isn’t even something you can buy — it’s just something you look up at. Home to Europe’s largest ceiling projection, this shopping center displays some pretty incredible video and imagery across its 1,200-meter (3,900-foot) ceiling. It’s the result of two years of design and planning, two months of installation, and two weeks of setup.
Designed by F1 Gesellschaft für Informationstechnologien und Managementberatung mbH and powered by VIOSO GmbH’s Stumpfl’s Wings VIOSO software packages, the full project involves a whole host of technical components that must work together in order to display the high-quality imagery above shoppers’ heads.
“We wanted projected multimedia to cover the 1,200-meter interior of the shopping center. Because the interior has a lot of architectural lighting, we wanted the visual system to be even brighter so our visitors could fully immerse themselves,” Oliver Mohr, center manager at Das Schloss explained.
He added, “The final result of the project adds a new and extraordinary dimension to the shopping experience.”
While projecting an image onto Das Schloss’ ceiling isn’t a particularly new concept, the updates to its system allow for much easier content changes so that shoppers can be perpetually entertained by their evolving environment. Capable of being altered or edited at any time, Das Schloss can change their ceiling projects based on a season or occasion. After all, what better way to do your Christmas shopping than in a snow globe?
Currently, the shopping center features an underwater theme, inspired by the artistic collective Werft 6 GbR in Dusseldorf. “We wanted to keep the content looking as natural as possible,” said Hajo Rappe, CEO and founder of Werft 6. “We joined the fully digital underwater world to shoot footage using motion capture of real-life divers and to create an animation of the most realistic sea creatures and scenery.”
So if you’re looking for shopping and a show, it may be time to pay a visit to Berlin and Das Schloss.
