CHINA: Shenyang Science Centrum has given its dome theatre a major visual upgrade, replacing its previous single-projector and fisheye lens configuration with six BARCO UDM-4K22 projectors. The upgrade brings 8K projection, a combined light output of 132,000 lumens and a contrast ratio exceeding 40:1 to one of the key attractions at the 40,000-square-metre science education centre in Northeast China.

The dome theatre is designed to transport visitors from the vastness of outer space and star-filled skies to deep-sea ecosystems and microscopic worlds. To support increasingly demanding science content while improving long-term operational reliability, the venue selected the Barco UDM-4K22 platform, with the new system replacing the previous projection setup.

Retrofitting the system presented its own challenges. The new installation had to be integrated without altering the existing building structure or compromising the aesthetics of the venue, while ensuring that audience sightlines and projection paths remained unobstructed.

Following detailed engineering calculations, the Barco team implemented a two-tier “4+2” projector configuration. Four UDM-4K22 projectors were installed on the first level, with each projecting an image approximately 21 × 13 metres from a throw distance of 23 metres. Each image incorporates an 18% horizontal blend zone and delivers approximately 80 lux of screen illumination.

Two further UDM-4K22 projectors occupy the second level, completing coverage of the upper section of the dome. Each produces an image approximately 20 × 12.5 metres in size from a throw distance of 20 metres, with an 18% horizontal blend zone and approximately 85 lux of screen illumination.

Equipped with motorized wide-angle lenses, the six projectors combine to create a seamlessly blended image across the dome screen, which measures 23 metres in diameter and covers approximately 742 square metres. The resulting system delivers 8K resolution and a combined light output of 132,000 lumens. In a fully darkened theatre environment, it achieves a contrast ratio exceeding 40:1, providing image quality designed to meet cinema standards.

The media server supports lossless, uncompressed 4K 60 fps playback and is compatible with 3D content and real-time 8K capture workflows. This allows the system to handle a range of immersive science content while maintaining high contrast, black-level performance and sharp image edges across the dome.

From expansive views of the universe to detailed representations of oceans and microscopic ecosystems, the upgraded system is designed to maintain consistent image fidelity across the entire 742-square-metre projection surface. For Shenyang Science Centrum, the result is a dome theatre capable of turning scientific content into a more expansive and immersive visual experience, while giving the venue a projection platform built for the demands of its next generation of exhibits.