OVERVIEW
How do you explain in a simple, accessible way the workings of a Parliament that brings together representatives from 27 diverse countries to harmonize complex policies and legislation for over 500 million citizens? And, in the spirit of ‘united in diversity’, how do you make the information understandable to visitors from countries with 24 different languages? That’s the challenge that faced Parlamentarium, the visitor center for the European Parliament in Brussels.
Technology has proved the key, demonstrating that audiovisual and interactivity speak a common language that can cross cultural and national barriers. Electrosonic worked with architects ATELIER BRÜCKNER to provide the audiovisual, interactive and experiential systems for what the designers call a ‘scenographically staged exhibition’. Parlamentarium takes visitors on a multimedia journey in their own language into the European Parliament. Sit in the middle of a Parliamentary session, meet the 750 Members of the Parliament (MEPs), take a trip around Europe and express opinions.
Immersive content plays a starring role in bringing the Parliamentary experience to life. A 360o presentation puts visitors in the heart of the semicircular Parliament space. They can listen to debates, see the decision-making process at first hand and feel involved in the development of European Union (EU) legislation. Europe is a big, diverse place, so why not take visitors on a trip. Easy when you’ve got the technology to compress time and space.
Visitors hitch a ride on a trolley and tour a 2260 square feet floor map with 600 RFID tags to learn more about places of interest. Another 360o presentation integrated with 22 touchscreens showcases the impact of EU legislation. And, visitors can express and compare views in an interactive 3-dimensional overhead Sky of Opinions formed by 13,000 LED elements. It’s all part of the amazing, informative experience in Parlamentarium.
