SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico — The Labyrinth of Sciences and Arts Museum in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi features a 31-by-17-foot Harkness Spectral 240 3D screen and MF Wrap-round frame for a film that is part of its Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia exhibit. Papalote Children’s Museum in Mexico City was hired by the government of San Luis Potosi to develop the project and the exhibits for the new 165,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor museum, which sits on 16 acres of land.
Mexican architects Ricardo and Victor Legorreta designed it with a Mexican colonial type of architecture, with a modern twist. The exhibit halls are distributed around a large patio with a roofed corridor around it, giving it a cloister type of effect. Visitors have access to each individually themed exhibition hall by walking from the patio and through the “cloister” area.
“When we started working on this project in 2005, we discovered the need to improve or extend the goals or attractions of the museum,” said Alexander Fucikovsky, Papalote’s project manager. “So, our general director spoke with the San Luis Potosi government and told them that it would be desirable to add about four or five additional elements to the project, including a 3D theater for 100 people.”
As a result, the Papalote team developed the concept of a 3D theater. The next step was to pick the right screen for the theater. “We did our research and it became clear that the Harkness Spectral 240 3D screen was our best option,” Fucikovsky said. “After seeing the movie projected on the screen, there is no doubt we made the right decision.”
To accompany the Spectral 240, a Harkness MF Wrap-round frame was also installed. The frame is made from prefabricated sections of round tubular steel that are bolted and clamped together.
“Since the museum opened a few months ago, the 3D theater has been very successful,” said Fucikovsky, noting that the shows have attracted near-capacity audiences. He plans on using another Harkness screen for an upcoming project for another museum; this one being built for the governor of the Mexican state of Durango.
For more information, please visit www.harkness-screens.com
