Presidential libraries and museums play an important role in telling the American public the stories of our past Presidents. To tell those stories the best and latest educational techniques and technologies are used to make them vibrant, engrossing, and memorable. And when the tech changes over time, it’s important to change with it.
A great example of this is the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Since the site was dedicated in 1990 there have been many technological advances. But you’d be surprised at how some of those advances have an impact.
Throughout the facility, audiovisual displays and interactive exhibits are used to great effect for an immersive educational experience. But one place you might not expect to find AV technological advances is in a space where you don’t see any AV tech at all.
That space is a replica of the White House East Room. This room offers the same elegant and refined atmosphere as the real East Room, only on a bigger scale to accommodate large groups. Museum designers wanted an upgrade with AV technology that wouldn’t detract from that feeling.
“The visual aesthetics of the East Room were a high priority in the design and to not be in your face until in use,” said Timothy Metzger of TM AV Consulting & Integration Inc. “Knowing the Draper screen line very well, and after looking at multiple screen options, we found what was the best fit for the job.”
Metzger and AV dealer Production Access Group decided to recess the AV equipment above the ceiling so it can’t be seen when it isn’t in use. The two 220-inch Ultimate Access XL V screens have closure panels that provide a seamless look when closed, and they open up into the case to let the viewing surface down. The viewing surfaces are industry leading TecVision ambient light-rejecting surfaces, so the elegant lighting in the room doesn’t have to be turned off to enjoy projection.
The projector and speakers are mounted to four Scissor Lift SL4s. Each lift has a trim kit to blend in with the surrounding ceiling.
“This installation has been a winner from the first time the screens were lowered at the debut event,” said Metzger. “The reaction from the audience who had been in this space before with folding screens held up with sandbags and the 3K lumen projectors, now seeing the screens coming out of the ceiling with 20K Panasonic laser projectors, was tremendous. It has been a total winner.”
