Projection domes

The new high-tech experience cinema – projection dome

In cooperation with the company LaBrOs Engineering/Berlin, ACCENTFORM developed a custom-made projection dome for Kraftwerk living technologies, Wels. The projection dome, which is one of the largest installations of its kind ever created, serves its purpose as a two-part, walk-in 3D cinema projection with a diameter of 7 meters and a height of around 6 meters.

Realistic 3D films are projected onto all the interior walls using a projector, which visitors can view as they walk through the projection dome. In a very unusual way, the viewer not only has a 360° visual experience, but is also in the middle of the action, i.e. there are also projection surfaces above and below him.

The huge sphere, which was manufactured in two vertically positioned half shells, is a particular static challenge. As the wall thickness of the half shells is only 6 cm, stability is guaranteed by a sandwich structure in which all the necessary cables are invisibly integrated. Each half shell consists of eight different segments: The individual segments are screwed together using 500 recesses integrated into the sandwich structure, which are closed after assembly. This ensures a smooth and visually attractive exterior surface of the building.

Efficient and powerful: the installation of the 3D cinema required relatively low production costs. A GRP production mold was laminated from a model corresponding to one eighth of the half-shell area in order to form the outer shells. After creating a production mold for the inner shells, these could be laminated onto it and bonded to the outer shells using sandwich bonding.

The sensational projection dome was completed and opened to the public in the fall of 2012.

Project details