OdySea Aquarium welcomes guests with a new projection mapping experience
Guests at OdySea Aquarium now begin their journey not just by entering the doors—but by diving into a mesmerizing, immersive underwater world. A brand-new projection mapping experience surrounds visitors with vibrant marine life, ambient ocean sounds, and the breathtaking illusion of being submerged in the heart of the sea.
This one-of-a-kind 360° installation instantly immerses guests in six breathtaking animated aquatic sequences featuring some of OdySea Aquarium’s most extraordinary animals—jellies, corals, sea lions, penguins, sharks, and otters. These vivid, swirling scenes stretch across towering 23-foot (7-meter) high walls, transforming the expansive lobby into a living seascape that captivates visitors from every angle.
OdySea’s lobby immerses guests in an underwater world the moment they step through the front doors.
Inspired by the emotional impact of visiting other immersive exhibits, OdySea Aquarium founder and CEO Amram Knishinsky set out to create something just as powerful—only driven by the awe of the ocean. “We want guests to feel like they’re in the middle of the deep blue sea the second they walk in. Not watching it—in it,” Knishinsky said.
Overcoming unique lobby challenges
Creating a fully immersive experience in OdySea Aquarium’s non-traditional lobby space was no easy feat. The space is oval-shaped rather than square, featuring a central ticketing desk, an escalator, several internal doors, and nine massive Aqua Globes hanging from the ceiling—each filled with live fish. These iconic globes, conceived nearly a decade ago by Knishinsky himself, are engineering marvels, and eliminating them was simply not an option. The projection mapping needed to accommodate the globes, the irregular layout, and navigate around other immovable objects without compromising visual impact.
Though early proposals suggested limiting projection to a single wall or using lower-intensity projectors, the OdySea team knew full immersion demanded full commitment. The team set their sights on top-tier technology, design, and animation talent to craft a custom experience that honored both the unique space and the bold vision.
Hollywood-quality animation, rooted in science
Knishinsky knew from experience that content was key—and the heart of the experience had to be mesmerizing, authentic animation that truly transported guests to the center of the ocean. Enter Paul Washburn, Creative Director at Malvern Entertainment. With credits on major animated features like “Monsters University”, “Cars 3”, “The Good Dinosaur”, and “Smurfs: The Lost Village”—working with Pixar and Sony Pictures Animation—Washburn brought blockbuster experience and creative precision to the project. But this was a first: an aquarium-based projection mapping experience unlike anything attempted before.
The scale was staggering. The animation needed to span the entire length of OdySea Aquarium’s curved lobby walls—delivering cinematic detail and clarity at an enormous resolution, nearly ten times standard HD. “When you’re animating at that scale, there’s no room for shortcuts,” said Washburn. “Every frame, every shadow, every flick of movement has to hold up at 30 feet wide.”
Washburn assembled a team of over a dozen top-tier animators, art directors, and digital artists with backgrounds at studios including Netflix, Disney, and Lucasfilm, led by animation director Simon Thomas of Start Studios. The group worked closely with OdySea’s animal care experts to ensure anatomical accuracy and behavioral authenticity across every species featured. They studied exclusive in-house footage provided by the aquarium as well as wildlife documentaries to perfect animal movement. Penguins, for example, went through several animation passes to replicate their charming, side-to-side waddles and reproduce the sleek, torpedo-like way they dive. “We weren’t creating cartoon versions of animals,” said Washburn. “We were animating living creatures in a way that feels both artful and biologically true.”
Content created by Malvern Entertainment features OdySea’s most extraordinary creatures, including otters.
“The result is breathtaking, 100% original content,” Washburn said. “You won’t see it anywhere else in the world. Our goal was to make people feel like they were in the middle of the ocean—without ever getting wet.”
AV technology that’s up to the task
Transforming OdySea Aquarium’s uniquely challenging lobby into an immersive seascape required serious projection muscle. With massive architectural obstacles like curved walls, an escalator, a central ticketing desk, and the iconic ceiling-suspended Aqua Globes, traditional solutions simply wouldn’t work.
We collaborated with the OdySea team and developed a solution that includes 12 HS Series laser projectors, strategically installed to work around every obstacle, while still blanketing the space in vivid, high-definition imagery. Combined, the projectors produce an incredible 282,000 lumens, the equivalent brightness of 350 household lightbulbs shining all at once.
Our HS Series 1DLP laser projectors map the massive walls of the aquarium lobby.
Using BoldColor+™ technology, the system delivers rich colors, deep blacks, and incredible detail—perfect for animating a curious sea turtle, cascading jellies, vivid coral reefs, and more. Sophisticated tools like Christie Twist™ and Christie Mystique™ allowed the team to carefully align and blend the images across uneven surfaces, delivering uninterrupted visuals no matter where guests stand. Christie Pandoras Box® Software and Server provides robust content and audio playback control.
Engineering the experience
While the animated ocean scenes dazzle visitors, an equally impressive effort took place behind the scenes—one that demanded expertise, coordination, and precision. CCS Presentation Systems, headquartered in Mesa, AZ, was hand-selected to lead the installation and integration of the projection system and immersive oceanic soundscape, surrounding guests with the sights and sounds of the sea. As project managers, CCS combined creative vision with problem-solving know-how to ensure the entire system delivered as envisioned.
The walls of the lobby are transformed using a suite of our ProAV solutions.
Brought on to handle all electrical work for the project, The Power Group immediately identified a major hurdle: the lobby’s existing power grid couldn’t support the demands of the high-performance projectors. Rising to the challenge, they engineered and executed a seamless power upgrade to ensure flawless system performance. For the critical task of suspending a dozen advanced projectors high above the lobby floor, CCS enlisted Smashworks Fabrication. Renowned for their custom rigging, Smashworks engineered specialized mounts to ensure the equipment was both secure and perfectly aligned.
It was a behind-the-scenes symphony of planning, muscle, and ingenuity—proof that awe-inspiring visuals rely not just on creativity, but on the right team to bring it all to life.
Beyond the lobby, CCS also installed a stunning 16 x 9-foot Christie® 2.5mm pixel pitch LED video wall with full HD resolution in the upstairs café of OdySea Aquarium where guests can enjoy high-resolution ocean-themed visuals featuring the world’s most breathtaking beaches and iconic lighthouses.
A seamless collaboration
From mounting projectors and painting projection-optimized walls to managing after-hours installation, the coordination between partners Christie, Malvern Entertainment, CCS Presentation Systems, Power Group, and the OdySea Aquarium team was a feat of technical expertise, artistic innovation, and unwavering determination.
The collaboration forged more than a visual upgrade—it created an immersive new chapter for how guests experience the ocean.
“We didn’t set out to simply impress—we set out to amaze,” said Knishinsky. “This large-scale project blends storytelling with technology in one of the most complex spaces imaginable. The result is astonishing! It’s a one-of-a-kind gateway to the ocean that stops guests in their tracks. We want people filming, sharing, and telling their friends, ‘You have to see this.’ No other aquarium has anything like it. It’s bold. Imaginative. Lifelike. Unforgettable. I believe it will become a new benchmark in the industry.”
As Knishinsky quips, “It’s no longer just a lobby—it’s a portal to the ocean.”
