City of Uppsala

Interactive Projection Mapping

When

Who

What

2024

City Of Uppsala

Interactive Projection Mapping

Merging Interactivity and Light

Letting the public paint Uppsala Town Hall in Colour

Projection mapping shows are often visually stunning but static experiences. SMASH approached Uppsala Municipality with the idea of creating something that was both bold and interactive. The result was Resonance, a light show custom designed for the facade of Uppsala Town Hall, allowing the public to bathe it in brilliant colours while reflecting on the theme of the ocean.

Awaken your Colour

Be the Change in the Sea

Four illuminated buttons were placed in the main square in Uppsala, inviting the public to walk, step or jump on them. Each interaction activated a colour ripple across the facade of Uppsala Town Hall. These ripples also returned life to the ocean that had been created on the Town Hall’s surface. Only when all four buttons were activated simultaneously was a final crescendo revealed - an explosion of light, form and music. We were honoured that Resonance became a symbol for the festival, widely showcased in media coverage.

Uppsala Town Hall was a perfect surface for the piece; rich in history, highly visible for multiple locations and adorned with details that could interplay with light.

How Resonance Was Built

Drones Scans and Wood Models

By scanning the facade of the building using a drone, we could construct a digital replica of the building that not only reflected the building design but also the way its facade had evolved with time, including its colour and texture.

Given the open nature of the square, we identified the most common viewing angle and created a digital camera in that position. To ensure everything worked seamlessly on premiere night, without spoiling the show, we built a scaled-down wooden model of the building. This allowed us to see what areas were working well and which effects we needed to reimagine.