Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, 2018
In an effort to raise the profile of the Sorel-Tracy area and promote local economic development, RIRÉRST (Regroupement indépendant de la relance économique de la région de Sorel-Tracy) asked XYZ to create an immersive adventure for visitors.
XYZ was responsible for the end-to-end design, development and integration of the technology infrastructure and interactive features of Statera – The 104th Island. Tapping into XYZ’s wide-ranging expertise, the exhibition was an ode to the history and culture of Sorel-Tracy and the stunning archipelago on which it stands.
The experience was divided into two parts: an interactive indoor journey and a spellbinding immersive dome projection, showcasing the beauty and history of the Sorel-Tracy islands.
Donning a headset, visitors enter the Statera Pavilion, a converted boathouse, for an interactive quest entitled The Islands at Night. They are then guided along their path by an intelligent, interactive lantern, modelled after old-time miners’ lamps.
This one-of-a-kind creation features innovative technology developed by the experts at XYZ to serve as a responsive audio guide.
Multiple interactive stations are set up along the way as visitors make they way forward through four specially themed zones. Along the way, they become more familiar with the local plant and wildlife, find out what it’s like to command a ship in these waters, attend an Abenaki ceremony and fight a raging fire.
The sound and visual effects are triggered whenever an interactive lantern approaches. The experience also includes a virtual fishing game that mimics the experience of holding a rod and having a fish nibble on the other end. The lantern also sends signals to the visitor’s headset and guides them along the path with an LED light.
The system also guides newly arrived visitors toward less-populated areas of the exhibition, in real time, all in an effort to maximize their enjoyment.
The second part of the installation is housed in an enormous five-storey-high dome, 20 metres in diameter.
Overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River, the dome is the largest outdoor translucent installation of its kind in Canada. It takes eight 14,000-lumen projectors to power the 360° video surface, as part of The River That Walks, a video exploration of over 1,000 years of local history. The light from the projection shines through the dome walls to the outside, making the structure visible from quite a long way away and adding a special night-time charm to the Sorel-Tracy ferry wharf.
Between shows, visitors can explore the area around the dome, where interactive dots on the ground bring a different part of the experience to life.
Project Manager Design Equipment supply Installation Programming and calibration Scenography
RIRÉRST (Regroupement indépendant de la relance économique de la région de Sorel-Tracy)
cadabra