SNA Displays and BBI Engineering recently collaborated to provide LED display technology for three exhibits at the newly built World Heritage Center (WHC) in San Antonio, Texas. The exhibits were conceived by G&A, a creative firm that specializes in transformative experience design, and uses video technology to bring the visitor experience to life with traditional imagery and color.
Adjacent to Mission Marque Plaza, the WHC is a nearly 6,000-square-foot museum and visitor center, part of the City of San Antonio’s strategy to create a community hub that includes many other planned improvements to the area. G&A describes the new World Heritage Center as a gateway to history, culture and community:
Designed to honor the rich heritage of the San Antonio Missions while serving as a dynamic space for both locals and visitors, the center weaves together storytelling, architecture, and technology to create an experience that is both immersive and deeply meaningful. From its interactive exhibits to its role as a gathering place, every detail was crafted with intention—to connect the past with the present and inspire future generations.
Audio-video design specialists BBI Engineering oversaw the management and installation of the digital museum pieces, selecting SNA Displays’ BRILLIANT Interior LED video technology for the exhibits.
“These creative and beautifully designed applications of LED video are a testament to the potential impact of this display technology,” says Richard Hill, SNA Displays’ director of sales for museums and themed entertainment. “All digital screens tell a story, but here we are able to help people engage with their history and culture in a meaningful way. I can think of few more rewarding experiences in our industry than to see people light up with inspiration and wonder when they see these exhibits.”
Portals to the Missions is a three-screen exhibit whose 1.9 mm LED screens are set into engraved wooden panels styled like archways in the traditional architecture of the Spanish Missions. The architecture was designed to evoke the feeling of looking through a doorway directly into the history of the area. The portal-themed exhibit consists of one 12’5” tall x 6’6” wide LED screen flanked by two 6’6” x 3’11” displays. Etched with artistic designs that represent the era, wooden panels mask the screens to create the archway effect and contain built-in speakers for a multi-sensory experience.
The pair of exhibits known as Evocative Objects are 1.2 mm LED screens built on the outer walls of walk-in immersion exhibits. Both displays are partially covered with artistic wooden masks to create distinct shapes such as a diamond and a quatrefoil, a common symbol in churches of that time period.
The BRILLIANT Interior display series from SNA Displays can be configured with multiple cabinet sizes in a single display, allowing exhibit designers at G&A to envision a video canvas with unique shapes that capture the imagination. Concave and convex curves, as well as pixel-perfect right-angle installations are also commonly integrated with this range of products.
