As part of their award-winning conservation and restoration project, The Old Royal Naval College invited ATS to help them bring James Thornhill’s epic painting closer to the viewer, complete with detailed interpretation of the complex painted scenes of gods, monarchs, seafaring and complex allegory.
Using the extensive research into the site – along with fresh perspectives – ATS created a multimedia guide for the Painted Hall that allows visitors to see the paintings in detail, either following a set tour of the interior or through a random-access plan of the ceiling. And it also allows them to unpack some of the symbolism that’s featured in the painted scheme.
A challenge for this project was to deliver a multimedia guide for a site that was also a live conservation project. Hard-hat interviews, filmed with experts high up on the conservation scaffold now allows visitors to get up close to the paintings with a personal guide. And new high-resolution photography of the completed restoration gives the experience of an added dimension.
The creation of a heads-up experience for visitors required designing a tour that achieves the right balance of audio and multimedia content. Binaural (3D) soundscapes has created an authentic atmosphere for visitors, as they marvel at the artwork and interiors. The design team solved the challenge of identifying the many painted characters with a custom flippable ceiling map and hot spots – allowing visitors to explore the vast ceiling and pick out features more easily.
ATS carried out user testing with access and working groups during the design stages. The multimedia tour is available in multiple languages including British Sign Language, plus a specialist Audio Described tour which was written by Vocal Eyes and produced by ATS.
Together with the on-site interpretation, the multimedia guides create a seamless visitor experience that’s as intriguing as it is awe-inspiring.
ATS continue to lead the way in helping deliver extraordinary on-site visitor experiences using handheld mobile interpretation, films and digital. Please visit our portfolio page here to explore other exciting projects we have worked on and how to get in touch.
