Lelawi Theater

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), Washington, D.C.

Challenge:

The National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C., is located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol Building. The concept for the theater was inspired by Native American architecture and storytelling. The 120-seat theater is an intimate circular space featuring three projection surfaces: a 360-degree dome surrounding the audience, a vacuum-formed rock centered in the space, and four waffle cloth screens replicating Native textile art. challenge was to perfectly integrate advanced technologies and with this distinct cultural heritage, cultivating an environment reminiscent of Southwest Kiva fireplaces and earth lodge dwellings.

Solution:

The solution begins with a center structure containing four posts and four textile-shaped waffle screens hung between the posts. Four projectors are hidden in the walls of the theater to display the images onto the screens.

Extending from the floor, in the middle of the posts, is the vacuum-formed rock that is a rear projection screen. To add complexity to the design, there was no room to install the projector directly under the rock since that would have required knocking a hole to the third floor. To solve this challenge, a projector was installed that shoots down a conduit onto a mirror that is installed under the rock.

The 360-degree dome screen is essential to emphasize the importance of the sky and nature to the American Indian. However, the projection system for the dome proved to be a technological challenge. The original design called for one projector to be installed in the center structure that would project onto the ceiling with a fish-eye lens. When it came time for actual installation, it was determined that no such lens existed and developing a new lens would cost more than many individual projectors. The solution was a very complex projection system designed by SEOS. The system includes seven projectors that are hidden inside the center structure; six projectors that project around the dome and one that shoots straight up to fill the center of the dome. All seven images are seamlessly merged by SEOS advanced video technology.

Twenty-two channels of audio are used to fill the space. Six EAW speakers are carefully installed above the dome to provide music and background sounds like thunder and rain. Two Bohlender-Graebener speakers provide L-R sound for each center screen and a Tannoy speaker is installed in the artifact cases.