At nearly 40 metres high, the world’s tallest projection screen is so large that it requires seven ultra-bright laser projectors to operate

By James On Jul 31, 2024

We’ve seen some impressive projection screens lately, including, of course, the Las Vegas Sphere, which is covered in 1.2 million LED lights and has an equally impressive 16x16K resolution interior. And then there’s the giant “acoustically transparent” LED movie screen installed at the Xinjiekou International Cinema in China, which cleverly makes huge speakers invisible.

But the world’s tallest projection screen, from AV Stumpfl, is just as impressive as either in its own way. The L-shaped 40m x 20m (131 ft x 66 ft) custom screen, designed with AV Stumpfl’s Flex Contrast PRO surface, is a centerpiece in an ocean-themed exhibit at Oberhausen’s 100-meter-tall Gasometer museum, a repurposed gasometer-turned-exhibition arena known as the “cathedral of industrial culture.”

The exhibition Planet Ozean (Planet Ocean), which runs until the end of the year, highlights the beauty of the oceans and uses the giant screen by AV Stumpfl for the sculpture Die Welle (The Wave), created by Ars Electronica Solutions.

Life-size whales

“The Wave sculpture that we developed here, in close collaboration with Ars Electronica Solutions and the composer Rupert Huber of Tosca, enables a completely new, immersive experience that would only be possible here in the Gasometer,” says Nils Sparwasser, curator of Die Welle.

AV Stumpfl’s 40-metre-high screen rises from the Gasometer’s central gallery, supported by seven 30,000-lumen laser projectors. The photorealistic computer-generated images for Die Welle were created from scratch and feature life-size whales, fish and jellyfish.

Jeanette Schmitz, director of Gasometer Oberhausen and curator of Planet Ozean, said: “We were immediately sold on the concept of The Wave, as it plays into this gigantic space and enchants visitors to the exhibition – where else would you get the chance to go hunting with sharks or marvel at humpback whales in their full size? The Wave is also an important pillar of our fundamental concept, as our new exhibition opens up as an overall model with different communication approaches that offer an unparalleled insight into the world of the ocean.”