Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera presents its first mixed reality tour in Spain

A new view of Gaudi’s universe

Now visitors to La Pedrera-Casa Milà can discover its secrets through a combination of holographic technology and reality. La Pedrera Magical Vision is a new tour experience developed by Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera and Laie – Culture Experience designed to give people a new vision of the building and Gaudí’s creations through mixed reality.

La Pedrera Magical Vision incorporates the innovative Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, which visitors can use to discover the history and architecture of Gaudí’s building in an immersive and multisensory manner, allowing them a closer look into Gaudí’s universe.

The tour takes place in a new space in the building on the La Pedrera mezzanine floor, which is open to the public for the first time. This circular space surrounds the Patio de las Mariposas and follows the architectural lines of Casa Milà. During the experience visitors can discover who owned the building, what Gaudí’s inspiration was, how he built it, and stories from people who have lived there over the years.

“Our goal as a foundation is to build experiences that offer new perspectives on art, beauty, and heritage,” says Marta Lacambra, CEO of the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera.

Technology at the service of culture

La Pedrera Magical Vision is an immersive, interactive, and sensory tour developed in collaboration with Glassworks, an international post-production studio specializing in visual effects and digital animation. Glassworks has collaborated with companies such as Apple and Netflix and contributed to series and movie projects such as The Crown and A Monster Calls.

The creation of La Pedrera Magical Vision marks the first time the HoloLens 2 device has been used in a cultural context in Spain, not to mention the first time a Gaudí building has made use of the device. 

“Microsoft is delighted with this initiative, as it is a clear and resounding example of how technology can bring people closer together and solve challenges in the most uneven environments,” says Alberto Granados, President, Microsoft Spain. “We have seen HoloLens used in healthcare, design, manufacturing, and machinery maintenance. Interacting with the holograms and content in this unique space in La Pedrera will most certainly ensure that we never forget Gaudí’s influence on art.”

This technology is based on the concept known as mixed reality. With HoloLens 2 visitors can see holograms within actual physical spaces and they appear in the various rooms throughout the tour. People learn about Gaudi’s inspiration for the building and its history through these immersive visual methods—visitors are not simply spectators, they are participants in their surroundings, interacting with La Pedrera’s history.

Mixed reality is different from other experiences, for example those based on virtual reality (VR), because the user’s adaptation is almost immediate. The visitor is aware of the space and the surrounding physical objects at all times, making the experience safe, immersive, and very pleasant.

Take part in the experience by visiting La Pedrera

La Pedrera Magical Vision is part of a series of innovations on offer this summer designed to enhance a visit to this unique Gaudí building. In addition to the mixed reality tour launch, a new audio and video guide system is in place that improves and modernizes the overall La Pedrera experience. 

The new devices bring maximum personalization to visitors, who can choose what kind of content they want based on their interests. Also new is the La Pedrera Photo Experience, a photography and video service in the building where people can take souvenir photos or videos against amazing backgrounds showing a trip through time, fascinating vignettes from ancient times, or a rooftop sunset.

"Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, committed to people: Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera builds experiences, with the aim of bringing art in all of its forms to a wider public. Suggestive elements help transform a visit to La Pedrera into an experience that challenges, while promoting learning and reflection.

Laie – Culture Experience: Laie offers a new business line dedicated to the creation and promotion of projects combining art and technology—always keeping people at the center of things. In the short term, Laie aspires to bring people closer to a new means of experiencing the cultural landscape, encouraging them to discover, and challenging the instinct of curiosity. It aims to fill a void by making use of new technologies that help people connect with artistic initiatives, spaces, and artifacts in a more enriching manner.

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