Digital Projection, a brand of Delta, provided its M-Vision projectors for a cultural project led by French projection mapping expert CS Prod, which brought to life the history of King Louis XIII at Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France)'s former royal residence. This immersive 20-minute projection mapping show celebrated the sovereign’s life, promoted the town’s historical heritage, and enhanced access to culture for a young audience.

Located in the western suburbs of Paris, the city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye has hosted many monarchs throughout its history, serving as their royal residence, but none had as strong a connection to the town as Louis XIII. The little-known king, hidden in the shadow of his father Henry IV and his son Louis XIV (the Sun King), spent most of his time there and chose the town as his permanent residence in 1620. Today, Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a student town, with almost half of the population (23,000) being students, where access to culture for young people is a major objective.

Lumières sur Louis XIII (“Lights on Louis XIII”) was created in collaboration with Digital Projection’s French partner CS Prod – a collective of artists, Christian Salès, with technical knowledge focusing on content creation related to history and heritage – and the town’s cultural department. The event enabled visitors to go on an immersive journey into the memories of Louis XIII, courtesy of Digital Projection’s M-Vision laser projectors.Digital Projection, a brand of Delta, provided its M-Vision projectors for Lumières sur Louis XIII (“Lights on Louis XIII”) led by French projection mapping expert CS Prod.

Built in the 19th Century, the Manège royal was chosen to host the immersive show for its magnificent upside-down boat hull roof and the connection with the king.  “What strikes you as you enter is the framework of the building and the balcony where the king used to sit,” says Christian Salès, artistic director of CS Prod, who aimed to cover all the inside areas with video content. In order to achieve this, the team installed three E-Vision 15000 ultra-wide lens projectors in the back of the balcony; six M-Vision 23000 Laser projectors on each side of the building, projecting on the opposite wall and onto the ceiling; and two M-Vision 27000 at the back of the room with a 50-metre projection throw. “We knew the front wall had to be the most impactful for the public and show true colours and sharp images. And the M-Vision 27000s truly answered our requirements,” he explains. The immersive show also included a six-minute projection mapping display on the building’s exterior façade each night. This was achieved by installing M-Vision 23000 laser projectors in two side towers, situated 30 metres away from the façade. “Digital Projection’s ColorBoost + Red Laser tech is amazing; it offers great images,” Salès explains. “Hardware is paramount to the content creation, and with Digital Projection, I know exactly how it’s going to look like when we’re creating the content.” He agrees and praises the M-Vision, stating: “The whole project lasted for a month and a half, and during that time, we had zero problems with Digital Projection projectors. We are truly happy with the result.”

Lumières sur Louis XIII was an astounding success, attracting 15,000 visitors, including 3,500 school-children in one month. According to Benoit Battistelli, Saint-Germain-en-Laye’s deputy mayor in charge of culture, the show was a triumph, and the feedback was positive, with the spectators being “surprised, amazed and impressed.” 
Lumières sur Louis XIII also included a six-minute projection mapping display on the building’s exterior façade each night.