Sculpt Dark – Turbine Hall

One work across 32 × 18 metres in a decommissioned power station hall

VisualisationIndustryFree spatial study

Visualisation of a fictional space – not a realised project.

A power station hall 150 metres long and 35 metres high. On the end wall, “Kreisel” from the Sculpt Dark series runs on four large-format projectors – an image of 32 × 18 metres before which people become tiny.

Steel columns on a ten-metre grid carry the crane runway and roof trusses; at a height of twelve metres, a bridge spans across the hall. The work runs as a single video, distributed across a grid of 2 × 2 projections; the bottom edge lies at six metres, so that the image stands free above people's heads.

Around 180 visitors spread out across the front third of the hall, close to the wall and more loosely towards the back. The white light of the sculpture falls across the floor and columns and fades into the depth of the hall – the sense of scale arises from the relationship between image, space and people.

Technical details

What it takes to build this space: dimensions, equipment, brightness.

Two Barco UDX-4K40 FLEX projectors with R9862001 TLD+ 90° ST lenses (0.65-0.85), 0.72-0.94 on the UDX-4K, 40,000 lumens each, hang from cross trusses. Each partial image measures 16.00 × 9.00 m with its bottom edge at 15.00 m; the throw distance is 13.30 m (throw ratio 0.83:1, lens shift -57% vertical). Calculated luminance on the wall: approx. 88 cd/m². Two Barco UDX-4K40 FLEX projectors with R9801414 TLD+ lenses (0.8-1.16), 0.92-1.33 on the UDX-4K, 40,000 lumens each, hang from cross trusses. Each partial image measures 16.00 × 9.00 m with its bottom edge at 6.00 m; the throw distance is 14.90 m (throw ratio 0.93:1, lens shift -157% vertical). Calculated luminance on the wall: approx. 88 cd/m². Alternatives, price range and all dimensions per device are listed in the equipment list; floor plan, section and axonometric view show the projection cones.

Room

The room of the scenario and how the images are placed in it.

Room: decommissioned power station hall with crane runway and cross bridge
Configuration: one video on 2 × 2 large-format projectors
Visitors (approx.): 180

Room	Width	Depth	Height
Turbine hall	40 m	150 m	35 m

Projection

How the images are created: equipment, image size, distance and mounting.

2 × Projector

16 m × 9 m per image

Bottom edge: 15 m
Distance: 13.3 m
Throw ratio: 0.83 : 1
Lens shift: -57 % vertical
Mounting: on the truss

2 × Projector

16 m × 9 m per image

Bottom edge: 6 m
Distance: 14.9 m
Throw ratio: 0.93 : 1
Lens shift: -157 % vertical
Mounting: on the truss

All partial images belong to one picture – one computer outputs them simultaneously and frame-accurately.

Real time and interaction

The film shows a recording. In the installation the work is computed live – and can respond to the space and its visitors.

Computation: live, in real time, on a high-end computer with a powerful 3D graphics card, NVIDIA RTX 4070 or higher; with many image surfaces also with several graphics cards
Output: all projectors in a room from one computer, as coordinated zones rather than separate videos
Interaction: 3D LiDAR scanners capture people and movement in the space; the work can respond to them
Fitting: mapping to the actual architecture – edges, columns, ceilings and floors

Brightness

Whether the image will be bright enough: luminance achieved against the target value. The line in the bar marks the target value.

2 × Barco UDX-4K40 FLEXbright enough

Luminance: 88 cd/m²
Target value: 60 cd/m²
required luminous flux: 35,286 lm
Luminous flux: 40,000 lm

2 × Barco UDX-4K40 FLEXbright enough

Luminance: 88 cd/m²
Target value: 60 cd/m²
required luminous flux: 35,286 lm
Luminous flux: 40,000 lm

Equipment

The reference devices used for the calculations. Devices of the same class are equally suitable.

Barco UDX-4K40 FLEX

Lens: R9862001 TLD+ 90 Grad ST (0.65-0.85), am UDX-4K 0,72-0,94
Luminous flux: 40,000 lm
Weight: 92 kg

Alternatives (3)

Model	Lens	Luminous flux	Luminance
Barco QDX-4K45	R9862001 TLD+ 90 Grad ST (0.65-0.85), am QDX-4K 0,67-0,88	45,000 lm	99 cd/m²
Panasonic PT-RQ35K2	ET-D3LEW300 (Weitwinkel-Zoom)	2 × 30,500 lm	135 cd/m²
Panasonic PT-RQ35K2	ET-D3LEW200 / ET-D3LEW201 (Kurzdistanz-Zoom)	2 × 30,500 lm	135 cd/m²

Barco UDX-4K40 FLEX

Lens: R9801414 TLD+ (0.8-1.16), am UDX-4K 0,92-1,33
Luminous flux: 40,000 lm
Weight: 92 kg

Alternatives (3)

Model	Lens	Luminous flux	Luminance
Barco UDX-4K40 FLEX	R9862001 TLD+ 90 Grad ST (0.65-0.85), am UDX-4K 0,72-0,94	40,000 lm	88 cd/m²
Barco QDX-4K45	R9801414 TLD+ (0.8-1.16), am QDX-4K 0,86-1,25	45,000 lm	99 cd/m²
Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB	144-111014-XX ILS4 0.9:1 HB fest (UHC: 163-117100-XX)	50,000 lm	111 cd/m²

Price range and equipment list on request.

Drawings

Axonometric view, floor plan and section show the space and the projection cones.

Sculpt Dark – Turbine Hall — Axonometric view — **Axonometric view** · not to scale

Sculpt Dark – Turbine Hall — Floor plan — **Floor plan**

Sculpt Dark – Turbine Hall — Section — **Section** · not to scale

Glossary

Real time: The image is recomputed at every moment, about 60 times per second, instead of being played back as a finished video.
3D LiDAR scanner: Scans the space with laser light and captures people and movement in three dimensions – the basis of the interaction.
High-end computer: A computer with a powerful 3D graphics card – NVIDIA RTX 4070 or higher – that computes the image live and drives all projectors at once.
Mapping: Fits the projection to the actual geometry of the space so that image and architecture meet exactly.
Throw ratio: Distance divided by image width. At 0.8 : 1, the projector for an image 6 m wide stands 4.8 m away.
Lens shift: Shifts the image within the lens without tilting the projector – so it stays rectangular.
Luminous flux: How much light the projector emits, in lumens.
Luminance: How bright the image surface appears to the eye, in candelas per square metre. In a dark room, about 60 is enough.
Bottom edge: The height of the bottom edge of the image above the floor.
Synchronised output: Several projectors show parts of the same image; one computer outputs them simultaneously – computed live or as video.