Television History Meets Innovation

By RANDY REID

Photo Credit: Jorrit Lousberg

The Beeld & Geluid (Institute for Sound and Vision) in the Netherlands is not just a museum. It's an intricate media archive and event hub situated in Media Park in Hilversum. This unique location is home to many working broadcast studios, including news and special events studios, creating a media city of sorts.

The design of the museum is a testament to the evolution of television. To preserve the culture and heritage of this important medium, the museum incorporates daily archiving systems, implemented through interactive installations, gamification, and other activities happening in the studio.

The project was a collaborative effort involving several parties, each contributing their unique expertise to create an immersive and interactive experience for visitors. Michel Nols and Koert Vermeulen of ACT Lighting Design were responsible for the comprehensive lighting design, which included all light sources in the museum, including those integrated into the furniture and functional lighting in the ceiling. The lighting for the furniture was provide by Ata Tech. Pharos Architectural Controls supplied the dynamic lighting controls which were integrated and guided by Rutger van Dijk.

The interactive content was designed by Kiss the Frog and was integrated with the lighting to create an engaging and interactive experience for visitors. Tinker Imagineers was responsible for the complete spatial and exhibition design, as well as the audiovisual design.

The ACTLD lighting strategy was developed in three parts, with the screen being the protagonist in the media studio, as the content and screens were the primary storytellers throughout the experience. The second part of the strategy involved creating a counterweight to bring forward the image. This was achieved by implementing lighting that grazes and gives an architectural context in which the screens can come forward. The third part involved meticulous integration of lighting in all the furniture, creating graphics throughout the whole experience.

This three-level approach allowed for easy control of these layers as desired. The team had full control over color temperature and light, enabling them to create different moods and effects. However, due to changes in some of the rooms, they had to adjust their design several times.

Media Reactor

The museum incorporates a unique feature called a 'media reactor,' designed by Richard Vandy of Tinker Imagineers. This innovative element fetches video content from the media archive in real-time and projects it onto various screens throughout the space. The video clips move across the different screens, travelling through the space.

The media reactor itself is composed of video projections displayed on black frames. The lighting design included an aluminum frame with LED lines mounted on different levels, creating a pixel strip behind a fabric. These frames are then translated into pixelated LED strips, diffusing the image while maintaining the integrity of the original video content. The team had to carefully position the lights to create the desired moods and effects. This flow of real media images, a combination of video and pixel mapping, creates a one-of-a-kind visual experience.

The audio component of these stories is delivered through a surround system integrated throughout the museum. This space is multifunctional and located next to the media exhibition. Upon entering the museum, visitors receive an avatar that accompanies them throughout their visit. The entirety of interactive experiences are synced with the visitor, through an app and facial recognition systems as the visitor travels throughout the space.

Layers of Light

The ceiling area was crowded, making it a challenging puzzle for the design team to find optimal spots for mounting luminaires. The ceiling features curved lights and small Rosco cubes, and spotlights were added to supplement the functional lighting. Together this design created various layers of light.

The Pharos DMX-controlled system allowed full control over color temperatures, enabling the team to create different settings for various scenarios such as regular museum operations, events, and maintenance work. This flexibility was crucial in ensuring that the lighting could be adapted to suit different needs and create different atmospheres as required. The Pharos system allowed the user to have a digital schedule with all fixtures mapped out, providing a seamless way to control and program the lighting for each area.

Furniture Integration

One of the unique features of this project was the furniture lighting. Tapelight mounted to the bottom of furniture created a soft glow on the floor, contributing to the ambiance.

Michel also shared some images of the welcoming space where visitors can take pictures against a green screen and create a digital passport. This passport can be used to log into every interactive installation or screen in the museum, providing a personalized and immersive experience for each visitor, in addition to the many interactive features triggered by the facial recognition system.

One of the challenges faced by the team was balancing the general lighting moods with the effectiveness of video projection installations and face recognition implementations. Too much light could diminish the impact of these installations, so careful consideration was needed to strike the right balance.

One such installation is a newsroom where visitors can become newscasters in a television studio. The lighting in this room was designed to mimic the clinical brightness of a broadcast studio. Another studio is designed to resemble a stage and theater performance, allowing visitors to become directors of their own movie scenes. A third space is inspired by a Tokyo supermarket shop, featuring vibrant colors and dynamic lighting.

One of the highlights of the museum is a game room, inspired by 1980s arcades. The room features UV lights to create a glowin-the-dark effect on the scenery, and an interactive video floor adds another layer of engagement for visitors.

The project’s success hinged on the flexibility and convenience of its installation setup. The team could simply plug in, open the Pharos system, and everything was up and running. The lighting scenes and programming were all controlled from the files control system. If adjustments needed to be made, it was just a matter of making a few easy changes to the software.

This system was particularly beneficial because the design was developed in different phases. The focusing happened in four or five stages, providing the team with the flexibility to come in with no more than a laptop and handle everything.

One of the key points Michel emphasized was that this project was very much a collaborative effort. Six to seven different parties put their heads together to make everything work - from lighting to interaction design, video content, gamification, server systems, and developing archiving systems.

The Beeld & Geluid (Institute for Sound and Vision) faced several delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, extending the design process to several. Despite these challenges, the team managed to create a stunning and interactive space that is both educative and immersive, standing as a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and the magic of storytelling through light and media.

FIXTURE SCHEDULE

Controls: Pharos Architectural Controls

Track & LED Linear: Ata Tech

Ceiling: Rosco, Elation, Chauvet, Rogue, luxlumen