Gone were the days of staring out onto the tarmac at the airport with a boarding pass in hand, waiting for the hours to tick by until the long-anticipated boarding call. Now, travellers at the newly opened Terminal C at Orlando International Airport (MOC) can spend their time being immersed in a spectacular digital public installation produced by Gentilhomme.
Gentilhomme challenges creative thinking at Terminal C
The unique multimedia experience was created by Gentilhomme, an earth-based multidisciplinary studio with Sardi Design. The displays were opened for the world to see on 20 September 2022, as Terminal C at MOC opened its doors. Passengers are currently able to explore two different architectural structures, the Moment Vault and Windows on Orlando and will soon be able to uncover the Portal, which is set to make its debut in 2023.
Founder and CEO of Gentilhomme and Orlando EME Creative Director, Thibaut Duverneix, is proud of the installations, a result of intricate details and assiduous work.
“At Gentilhomme, we create meaningful and enchanting immersive experiences. For Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C, we brought together a dedicated team with diverse technical skills to design and execute installations that can live indefinitely in a transient environment within and specific to the architecture.
“Producing interactivity at this scale is ambitious and requires a large amount of effort and attention to detail, but the process itself was magical. From swimming with the manatees to observing NASA launches, filming the documentary-style live-action scenes was a one-of-a-kind experience. Our team is excited to see how travellers will interact with the content and what kind of impact it will bring to the overarching passenger experience for years to come.”
Celebrating the region’s beauty at Orlando International Airport
Airports exhibiting artwork installations is not a new idea. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has a collection of over one hundred local and international artworks, including an annexe of the Rijksmuseum, while Denver International Airport has previously been questioned for its controversial murals. However, Gentilhomme’s installations are the first of their kind for the aviation space.
Each installation has hours of live-action content that has been custom-created to reflect Central Florida’s landscapes. Supported by a unique and original sound composition, the 114-feet wide displays across 3,888 square feet of custom LED panels will not go unmissed. Passengers will be invited to look up from their phones, leave their distractions at the gate and be immersed in the region’s attractions. As the new terminal is expected to attract an additional 10-12 million travellers annually, the artworks are also a celebration of Florida’s beauty and a call for increased tourism following the pandemic.
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine was used to create a high-resolution 360-degree photo-realistic experience made to create lasting connections for visitors at the airport. The screens feature an array of environments that allows passersby to have a deeper connection to the place and culture of Florida, with Gentilhomme working directly with companies including NASA, Disney and Space-X, providing exclusive access to Florida’s most spectacular scenes. Photomedia capsules span from underwater manatees swimming in rivers to bird migrations and vast ranchlands. The city’s iconic downtown skyline also hasn’t been forgotten about, with all imagery contributing to one of the world’s largest storytelling experiences for guests of all ages.
Discovering “Moment Vault” and “Windows on Orlando”
Inside Palm Court at the heart of Terminal C, guests will be able to engage with “Moment Vault.” The interactive experience uses state-of-the-art 3D motion-tracking sensors/cameras. Guests are invited to put their worries behind them and play, as seen in the “Hide & Seek” experience, which shows the moments of participating guests tracked in real-time and projected into a silhouette of fireflies.
Panoramic views and visual illusions will leave you stopping and staring at the best of times, but when placed onto 32-feet-tall displays, “Windows of Orlando” will leave you speechless. The displays see Florida come to life with imagery and live-action footage, ultimately reimagining the passenger experience.
Guests of the terminal will be looking out for the future “Portal”, which is set to make its debut next year. The installation is designed as a four-story, double-sided, 360-degree surround display in the arrival-departure hall.
Will you be visiting Gentilhomme’s world-class displays at the new terminal? Let us know in the comments below!
