The Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower (OPT) is arguably the most recognisable feature of Shanghai’s world-famous skyline, so when the management decided to integrate a new design feature into what is already a landmark, nothing was left to chance. In 2019, the decision was made to improve the experience for the thousands of visitors that pass through the OPT’s ground floor foyer each year by turning the inside of its lower ‘pearl’ into a single, 2,500 sq m projection surface.
The content of this 12-minute display was intended to demonstrate the main strengths of Shanghai to its audience: the city’s improving infrastructure; its various cultural treasures; its playfulness; and its status as a truly international destination. These four aspects would be represented by four characters, and the show would run permanently every night for the next five years.
To realise this ambitious vision, the client first decided to bring in China’s premier multimedia production company Motion Magic which in turn secured the services of Hungarian projection mapping specialist Maxin10sity. Although the two companies had no prior experience of working together, the team from Motion Magic were impressed by Maxin10sity’s extensive portfolio.
“Even with the entire team working day and night, it was a slow process,” – Agnes Szentannai, project manager at Maxin10sity