Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.thenewbarcelonapost.com
An emerald green origami bird becomes your particular guide on a tour through the seemingly bare rooms of the mezzanine of Casa Milà. When you least expect it, the ceilings and walls are covered with holograms that reveal the secrets hidden in one of Antoni Gaudí’s most emblematic works. This is how the tour of La Pedrera Magical Vision begins, the new immersive and interactive experience that opens its doors to the public on July 7.
Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera and LAIE-Culture Experience cooperate in this pioneering project throughout the country and never before seen in a monument recognized by Unesco in Spain, which combines the technology of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 devices with the visual effects and digital animation of the GlassWorks studio.
This new exhibition takes place in a new visitable circuit of the building, the mezzanine of La Pedrera, which until now was reserved for internal services and which opens its doors to the public for the first time. This circular space surrounds the Pati de les Papallones and follows the architectural line of Casa Milà. The experience offers a journey through time to learn about the different eras of the building, as well as its owners, Gaudí’s inspirations, the way the architect built it, and the lives that have been established in La Pedrera over the years.
La Pedrera Magical Vision was born with the intention of bringing a new way of experiencing culture, more playful and dynamic, so that it is accessible to all ages. And it does so through mixed reality, a combination between the physical space in which the user is located and the holograms that appear around them. The visitor has an artifact in the shape of a visor that becomes the window to this new reality. Integrated surround sound speakers emit the instructions of a guide and emit atmospheric sounds to liven up the visit.
Four thematic rooms constitute La Pedrera-Casa Milà’s new summer offering. All the rooms allow visitors to see, hear, and manipulate digital reality created from Antoni Gaudí’s imagination. The differentiating feature compared to other similar experiences, such as virtual reality, lies in the user’s immediate adaptation, who is aware at all times of the space and real objects surrounding them, making the activity safer and more pleasant and allowing instant interaction with other visitors.
La Pedrera Magical Vision would still be in a testing phase, given that reconciliation with the other circuits —La Pedrera Essential, La Pedrera Night Experience, and La Pedrera Premium complete the monument’s offerings— will have to be perfected as demand consolidates or increases. Initially, it is estimated that 60 users will be able to simultaneously enjoy the experience every hour. The visit lasts approximately thirty minutes and costs 18 euros for adults, while children under twelve can access for 9 euros.
This tour with immersive and interactive technology is not the only novelty presented by Casa Milà for this time of year. The monument has also developed a new system of audio guides and video guides, which improves and innovates the general visit experience. The new devices allow maximum personalization according to visitors’ interests, who can choose the type of content offered to them.
On the other hand, La Pedrera Photo Experience has been launched, a new photography and video service inside the building that allows visitors to take a snapshot or a souvenir video with exceptional backdrops: taking a trip back in time, with curious vignettes from ancient times, or at a sunset on the rooftop.
