'Lumina Cathedral of Toledo': a unique immersive experience inside the primate temple

History, until, Technology and spirituality are uniquely harmonized in this immersive experience, that highlights the legacy of this majestic Gothic temple and the city in which it is located. A complex multidisciplinary project developed by Meraki Audiovisual Culture and the cathedral chapter, with projection equipment Panasonic, Led lighting and sound, that are synchronized in an unforgettable tour for the visitor.

The initiative Toledo Cathedral Lumina, which opened at the end of December 2023, It is an experience developed exclusively by the specialist Meraki Audiovisual Culture, in collaboration with the cathedral chapter, to offer a unique cultural and technological proposal; prelude to a series of events that will mark the commemoration of the VIII Centenary of the beginning of the construction of the current Gothic temple, which will be held in 2026.

“The idea of ​​creating Toledo Cathedral Lumina arose from the existence of two lines of work in Meraki Audiovisual Culture - they explain -, seeking to carry out innovative projects in which uniesen arte, history, tradition, spirituality, innovation and technology to create a unique experience. This project seeks to lead innovation in the dissemination of cultural heritage, as well as filling a gap in Toledo's nighttime cultural offering, taking advantage of the majestic scenery of the Primate Cathedral from Spain”.

The Meraki Cultura Audiovisual team made this vision a reality and presented it to the Cathedral Chapter, who has perceived it as an opportunity to devise and provide a transformative experience in this temple that is a reference for Spanish Gothic.

The cultural commission created for this purpose has worked in close collaboration with the Cabildo and those responsible for the cathedral heritage, making a exhaustive research which ranged from historical and artistic studies to theological readings and spiritual analyzes to shape the development and content of the experience, in which various types of discourse come together: history, cultural, spiritual and audiovisual.

Multidisciplinary and transformative team

Under the guidelines of the project director and manager of Meraki Cultura Audiovisual, Alfonso Lopez Rivera, The cultural commission relied on the artistic and technical teams to shape and create Toledo Cathedral Lumina, with the participation of twenty nine experts (historians, theologians, videomapping experts, screenwriters, ingenieros AV, architects, graphic designers, carpenters, blacksmiths, etc.), who have contributed their knowledge and helped make this experience a success.

In this process, This multidisciplinary team explored various ideas and approaches to Lumina, with the aim of capturing the essence of the original vision and offering a culturally and emotionally impactful experience for the public.

“The result is a show that transcends convention, embracing the extraordinary, immersing viewers in a unique journey through art, history and spirituality, while they put in value the wonders of Toledo's cultural heritage and the treasures and beauty of its cathedral, famous monument at the national level”.

Innovation at the service of cultural heritage

On a tour of 50 minutes long, Toledo Cathedral Lumina offers visitors a complete immersive experience that, in the silence and meditation that this temple offers at night, is synchronized with detailed and careful projection mapping, lighting and music choreography, with a speech “that challenges each person and allows them to delve into the soul and history of the Primate Cathedral and the city of Toledo itself”.

The experience develops throughout ten milestones that highlight the artistic richness of the interior of the Toledo Cathedral, like the impressive altarpiece of the Main Chapel, the works of El Greco, the audacity of Narciso Tomé in The Transparent, their chapels, the sacristy or the choir, merging history, art and spirituality of this temple that is located in the heart of a World Heritage city.

“It is a unique project that was born with the vocation of becoming a benchmark for Spanish cultural tourism.”, offering each visitor a personal experience with the Toledo Cathedral, whose interior is transformed before your eyes through the union of art, the history and architecture of this unique temple with the latest in cutting-edge technology”, Meraki Audiovisual Culture emphasizes.

Technological challenge

The considerable technical complexity and technological challenges faced by the multidisciplinary team that has worked on this project since its conception in the year 2017, has met two essential requirements: he absolute respect to the temple, since it is a sacred place, and the conservation and enhancement of its cultural heritage single.

Besides, The work has been carried out following rigorous principles of environmental sustainability, carrying out actions such as replacing the lighting of the Toledo Cathedral with Led technology.

For the projection of video mapping a total of twenty-three Panasonic Solid Shine LCD projectors, strategically located inside the Toledo Cathedral, after overcoming important technical challenges in its location in complex areas, as The Transparent and the transept area, to guarantee maximum image and color quality during the experience.

Specifically, compact ones are used, light and silent Panasonic models PT-MZ14KL y PT-MZ11KL, with a power of 14.000 y 11.000 lumens, respectively, and WUXGA resolution (1.920×1.200p, 16:10).

Both PT-MZ20KL series projectors feature a long lasting energy saving system (until 20.000 hours of use), significantly reducing maintenance problems, with a quiet operation 42 dB (that can reach 36 dB with Quiet Mode setting), allowing attendees to focus on the experience, as well as respecting this space of worship.

The lightning It is another of the fundamental elements to create a 360º immersion in visitors., for what they have been installed more than 150 LED spotlights, both fixed and robotic, that have allowed us to beautify and make more sustainable, at an environmental level, the cathedral space.

For this, equipment is mainly used. Cameo, such as moving head focus and profile Opus SP5, with a luminosity of 15.000 lumens and flow 39.000 lux a 5 metros; the compact Led washing luminaire Evos W3, con 4.035 lumens, as well as the focus washer outdoor led Zenit W600D, with a luminous flux of 41.000 lumens for extreme brightness.

Perfectly in tune with projection mapping and lighting, and as part of this sensory immersion, the light guides the visitor, having the sound, specifically music, a great role during the tour of the interior of the Toledo Cathedral, with the installation of equipment LD Systems, such as four-channel class D amplifier Curv 500, which is expanded with two array satellites Curv 500 S2 y subwoofers iSUB.

The management of all installed equipment for Toledo Cathedral Lumina is done with the multi-screen control system Dataton WatchOut, that allows you to compose and synchronize all multimedia elements in a simple and efficient way.

As those responsible for this experience assure, “Toledo Cathedral Lumina was born with vocation to maintain over time, being one of the reference experiences, nationally and internationally, in terms of cutting-edge technology applied to cultural and religious heritage, contributing to its enhancement and dissemination”.