Christie illuminated an iconic Portuguese building with large-scale mapping

The Quinta da Regaleira was converted into an immersive night tour thanks to the 12 1DLP laser projectors Christie, four DWU23-HS and eight D20WU-HS, that were discreetly integrated between the gardens and architectural elements. Due to its outdoor location, The equipment was housed in custom casings, weather resistant.

Site visitors World Heritage of the Unesco of Quinta da Regaleira, in Sintra (Portugal), have been able to discover a new way to experience its enigmatic gardens and architecture with Festina Lente, an immersive night tour created by the Portuguese company Vortice Dance Company. For the staging, they used 12 laser projectors Christie's HS series, who were in charge of illuminating the facades, trees and lakes of the estate with images inspired by classic literature and the inner journey of personal knowledge.

The experience transformed one of Portugal's most iconic enclaves into a living canvas of light, sound and movement. Combining dance, videomapping and narration, Festina Lente took the audience through projected scenes that reinterpreted passages from the Eneida of Virgil and The Lusíadas from Camões, two fundamental works of the Western and Portuguese literary tradition.

Founded in 2001 and based in Fátima, Vortice Dance Company is recognized for innovatively integrating dance and new technologies. Led by its co-founders and artistic directors Cláudia Martins and Rafael Carriço, The company has performed in more than 35 countries and has received awards such as the Unesco Grand Prize for Choreography.

To achieve this immersive experience, The company installed a total of 12 Christie 1DLP laser projectors - four DWU23-HS and eight D20WU-HS– distributed in different areas of the premises. The equipment was discreetly integrated between the gardens and architectural elements. Due to its outdoor location, All projectors were housed in custom, weather-resistant housings, camouflaged among the vegetation to maintain the visual harmony of the place. The solution had the continued support of Christie's partner Total OFF, Vortice collaborator in several of his multimedia projects.

“The projectors were located in different parts of Quinta da Regaleira, in some cases a few meters from the projection surfaces due to the available shooting distances”, explains Rafael Carriço, of Vortices. “In those situations we use short throw optics 0.84–1.02:1 to obtain the necessary image size and mapping accuracy within the existing space”.

The mapped areas varied between approximately 4 y 40 meters wide and between 4 y 16 meters high, on surfaces as diverse as stone facades, bows, torres, trees, rocks and water. Each projection required custom geometry and brightness adjustments to ensure visual uniformity on irregular and reflective surfaces. Content was generated and optimized specifically for each area, maintaining pixel definition and image consistency across the entire enclosure.

“To address the architectural and natural complexity of the place, we carried out an extensive 3D mapping process”, añade Carriço. “We digitally model each area and adjust the alignment manually on site using advanced video mapping software.. We also adapt brightness, color and contrast locally to integrate the image into the environment”.

Projections worked in native WUXGA resolution (1920×1200 pixels), reaching up to 3840x1200 pixels in multi-projector combinations. Two light projectors were superimposed on one of the main facades of the palace. 23.000 lumens to achieve a total brightness of 46.000 lumens. Synchronization of multiple projection points, distributed throughout such a large and complex space, required precise control to ensure consistent transitions and timing throughout the course.

Outdoor operation posed additional challenges, from humidity and temperature variations to the dense vegetation and irregular topography of the historic site. All units were protected with ventilated cases to keep their performance stable. Regular monitoring ensured image consistency throughout the exhibition.

“Christie projectors performed excellently”, señala Carriço. “Its high brightness and reliability were essential in bringing the visual narrative to life on surfaces as complex as stone and foliage.”, while withstanding the demanding conditions of an outdoor heritage site. On the whole, the solution proved to be robust and suitable for prolonged outdoor use, maintaining visual precision and artistic integrity throughout the installation”.