Durham Cathedral

Revealing life, faith & passion

Concept Development / Editing / Multi-touch programming / Interactives / Location Filming / Visual-FX / 3D Modelling / Sound Design / Animation / CMS / Pepper’s Ghost

All created in-house

CLIENT

Durham Cathedral

DESIGNERS

Studio MB

HARDWARE

Fusion LX & Bruns

Durham Cathedral’s “Open Treasure”, showcases over 2,000 years of historically, architecturally and religiously significant events and artefacts.

AY-PE’s designs help visitors of all ages, engage with, explore and understand the development and impact of Christianity in the north east, from earliest times to the present day. AY-PE created 9x touchscreen interactives, a Cathedral soundscape, Pepper’s Ghost CGI, databases and several edited films.

Experience 01

Pepper's Ghost

St Cuthbert’s Coffin, which dates back to AD698, is a hugely significant item. The coffin and the carvings on it are incomplete and faded though. Our AV design was required to bring the design and significance of this item to life without harming the artefact.

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Experience 01

Pepper's Ghost

A ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ reflection seemingly onto the original coffin allows the visitor to absorb the story and detail of the complete coffin, through moving 3D wireframe graphic and text around the artefact. Lost images of saints, angels and symbols are traced out in front of the visitor with 3D graphics naming and explaining each carving.

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Experience 02

Benedictine Touchscreen

Durham Cathedral was home for centuries to Benedictine Monks who’d made a significant impact on the growth of the Durham area. This exhibit conveys content and information on the Monks’ activities, roles and Rules, through a fun yet memorable touchscreen interactive.

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Experience 02

Benedictine Touchscreen

Featuring colourful, bespoke illustrations and animations based on monastic illuminated manuscripts, the visitor selects a character then swipes through carefully researched, bite-sized content – to gain an understanding of that monk’s life and purpose.

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Experience 03

Digital Collections Interactives

‘Stone Collection’ Digital Label Interactive: A searchable label and information database of the extensive stone collection, including filmed interviews with several experts.

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Experience 03

Digital Collections Interactives

‘Pilgrimage’ Interactive (CMS): Visitors input their ‘pilgrimage’ information which appears on a large-scale map alongside other ‘pilgrim’ stories, conveying a community sense of Cathedral pilgrimage. We also designed a user-friendly data protection notice.

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Experience 03

Digital Collections Interactives

‘Build Your Own Pilgrim Badge’ Interactive: Fun interactive where visitors choose from a selection of images in order to build and share their own pilgrim badge.

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Experience 04

Modeling

As experts in 3D modeling AY-PE researched and recreated the architectural evolution of Durham Cathedral. The visitor explores it at their own pace – scrolling the timescale, architectural changes and historical descriptions back and forth to get a real understanding of the physical growth and purpose of the Cathedral.

Experience 05

Ambient AV

‘Carved Stone’ Projection: AY-PE created an animated film – 3D projection mapped onto a key stone of the exhibition.

‘Cathedral & Choir Music’ Audio: Newly recorded pieces of Cathedral Music edited by AY-PE immerse visitors in the sanctity of the Cathedral and give depth to the exhibition which they surround.

A delight to work with AY-PE. Their creativity and the high quality of their work has helped to build an outstanding exhibition space which receives great positive feedback.

- Head of Collections, Durham Cathedral

OUR SERVICES

WHAT WE DID...

Concept Development / Editing / Multi-touch programming / Interactives / Location Filming / Visual-FX / 3D Modelling / Sound Design / Animation / CMS / Pepper’s Ghost