WORLDS OF WONDER New technologies and construction techniques combine to create immersive entertainment at the Illuminarium
BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS
G
oing on safari in Africa. Walking on the moon.
“I like to call it cinematic immersion,” says Brian Allen, execu-
Exploring the depths of the Mariana Trench.
tive vice president of technology and content integration for the
These are all things that most people will
Illuminarium Experience, which opened last summer in Atlanta
never experience for themselves. But thanks to a perfect blend of technology, art and science,
the Illuminarium Experience brings these experiences to life for visitors to their Atlanta and now Las Vegas locations. With
and earlier this year in Las Vegas. “We have this sort of technology cocktail, layering different things on top of each other to orchestrate this experience.” “One of the very first hurdles we had to get around was how
a combination of 4K interactive projection, 360° audio, in-floor
[to] have localized audio that’s completely invisible,” he explained.
vibrations and even scent systems, Illuminarium experiences
“We needed a surface that was both acoustically transparent
are like no other.
and reflective, and that didn’t really exist. This is where some specialized, carbon-fiber panels come into play.”
20
SURFACEANDPANEL.COM
