Back in 2014, the Dubai Government organized a summit with small temporary exhibits in which they shared their ambitions, visions and roadmap for the future. The initiative grew and turned into a permanent installation, and so the Museum of the Future was born. With its never-before-seen architecture and innovative use of technology, the new landmark exhibition space, which opened February 2022, offers visitors a unique peek into the future through an exceptional experience.

The products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.

The Museum of the Future is nothing like an ordinary museum. Termed a ‘living museum’, the venue incorporates elements of traditional exhibitions, immersive theatres, and themed attractions to explore the evolution of society, science and technology in the coming decades. The ever-changing exhibition space is a gateway to the future world, crafted by visionary designers, artists and engineers and technology experts.

Staying true to their forward-looking vision, the priority of the museum founders was to find the perfect partners to realize the pioneering attraction. The foundation appointed ATELIER BRÜCKNER, an international leader in museum concept development and exhibition design. Together with AV consultant medienprojekt p2, they reached Barco to collaborate on the right technologies and solutions to visually deliver the immersive experiences.

With architectural challenges and unique requests, the Barco engineers worked closely together with the experts from AV integrator AVI-SPL and came up with a great feat of customized technology that matched the high expectations.

The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and execute it.

One of the main exhibits reveals what life could be like inside a huge space station in 2071 named OSS H.O.P.E. Visitors are taken inside a room with metal walls, designed to look like a spacecraft, with screens all around that act as windows to show the stunning atmospheric views during lift-off. Fourteen Barco F90-4K13 projectors with an UST lens are installed in the shallow space behind the screens and throw a whopping 110 megapixels on the 21x4m curved Rigiflex screen, which is the largest curved rear-projection screen in a single seamless piece ever built.

The proprietary rear-projection Barco Rigiflex screen made of thin light-weight material allowed for easy and flexible installation. And content creators were amazed at how great the installation served their visual designs with exceptional black levels and perfect blending. “Our engineering team went all out for this project,” says Kris Wullaert, Product Manager at Barco. “Together with the customer, we invested time and resources in customized engineering, pushing the limits of our existing manufacturing equipment, to realize the unthinkable!”

In addition, the exhibit features three F70 projectors creating a stunning image inside an inversed dome and two F80s bringing an unbelievable projection on a robotic interactive table.

The secret of the progress of mankind is in one word: Innovation.

More Barco technology is featured in the other remarkable exhibits of the museum. The HEAL Institute has ten UDM projectors immersing audiences in a digital version of the Amazon rainforest. And on the third floor, the Al Waha exhibition features four UDM-4K22 and four G60 projectors providing visitors with a visual spa experience. Thanks to the use of the external coolers, the UDM projectors deliver an extremely silent performance befitting the wellness and meditative character of the attractions.

Last but not least, a massive free-standing 5x5 UniSee video wall is used on the exhibition floor informing visitors with details on innovative technologies.

Phil Marlowe, AVI-SPL Managing Director, Middle East, concludes: “The Barco technology portfolio is world-class to begin with, but we needed a solution. Barco engineering stepped in and stopped at nothing to ensure perfection. From custom one-of-one solutions to the deployment of on-site professional services, the Barco team thought outside the box every step of the way. Barco became an extension of the AVI-SPL team and we are very pleased with results the team achieved.”