AV Stumpfl supplied several screens for 007 ELEMENTS, the new James Bond cinematic installation in Sölden, Austria. The location featured in the James Bond film, Spectre, and is now home to the interactive and immersive 007 experience built inside the summit of the Gaislachkogl Mountain in a bespoke 1,200sqm structure, 3,040m above sea level.
007 ELEMENTS is a partnership between EON Productions, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), and Bergbahnen Sölden and was realised thanks to the collaborative efforts of Creative Director Neal Callow (Art Director on Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre), Optimist Inc. Head of Design Tino Schaedler and his team, and Architect Johann Obermoser.
The building itself, designed and created by Obermoser Architects, is an interactive, immersive series of galleries that brings visitors inside the world of 007 while revealing the production secrets behind it. Although Spectre is unmistakably the main theme of the exhibition, it also features the 23 other official James Bond films.
Austrian integration specialist Kraftwerk Living Technologies (KLT) was tasked with realising the technical side of the project; providing detailed AV design and integration, as well as on-site installation, control system programming (system automation) and creative show programming.
Gavin Olivier, Key Account Museums and Exhibitions at KLT, explained: “Our sales director Kevin Murphy was approached by the Optimist team due to our reputation in the region and the rest, as they say, is history. We were involved from fairly early on, during the finalisation of the concept and the architecture. We contributed technically to the entire AV design phase and implemented the project on site, including the show programming of all AV and lighting elements.”
KLT worked closely with AV Stumpfl to ensure that the painstakingly created visual content was done justice by the projection setup. Gary added: “We created a mock-up of selected screens at AV Stumpfl to verify certain options. We’re very grateful for the support they displayed throughout the process – it was necessary for KLT to demonstrate these elements to the client to create a level of confidence.”
The screens – all of which are AV Stumpfl Full white – are a focal point throughout the exhibition, and consist of one screen measuring 400cm by 225cm, two measuring 500cm by 281cm, six curved screens measuring 337cm by 187cm, and a final screen measuring 560cm by 238cm.
The Full white screen has no borders and removes any impression of depth, meaning the visitor’s full attention is drawn to the images being projected. This pure design product is very popular for flying screen applications but features numerous different mounting solutions. Multiple Full white projection screens can also be connected, and the product can be made to measure since it is a modular system consisting of a basic frame that can be sized to any format by adding or removing plug-in elements.
KLT chose Epson projectors for the installation with 9 EB-L1300U + UST Lenses and an EB-L1505U. Original Bond footage alongside content that was shot specifically for 007 ELEMENTS was produced to fit the custom-sized screens.
Due to weather conditions associated with working in a mountain environment, most of the equipment had to be transported to the site via cable car, with some even being brought up by helicopter. Michael Cap, project manager at KLT said: “Of course there were logistical challenges for us, but they had been faced and overcome by others already – building a super modern structure at 3,040m when it’s snowing is not simple!”
“The most challenging aspect of this job for us was the temperature,” he said. “The building is stabilised at 5ºC or below, so as not to affect the permafrost. In order to adhere to this, we built heated tents inside to apply the screen surface to the frames, while all of the projectors are housed in custom-designed, heated enclosures. Needless to say, the job involved a lot of helicopters and warm jackets!”
Despite the challenges, both KLT and the client were pleased with AV Stumpfl’s usual level of professionalism throughout this process. As Michael concluded: “AV Stumpfl stands for high-quality screens, and we use them whenever possible. All of the products worked as expected (as is always the case) and AV Stumpfl’s support was integral to the project.”
