Atturaif Living Museum
At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Atturaif, the birthplace of the Saudi state, the façade mapping Atturaif Living Museum turns Salwa Palace into a night-time narrative of national memory. A seven-minute 3D film is projected directly onto the ancient walls, connecting the origins of the kingdom to its present-day identity under the open sky.
Tamschick Media + Space co-created the media concept and realized the film production and complex mapping that turn the palace architecture into a luminous storyteller.
History visible on Salwa Palace
TMS developed a 3D projection film precisely mapped to the complex geometry of the Salwa Palace. Every sequence was aligned to its specific surfaces so that arches, towers, and courtyards could be used as narrative elements.
The storyline spans from the early settlement and rise of the first Saudi state to the present, using a poetic visual language that fuses archaeological references with stylized imagery. Costumes, architecture, and everyday scenes were designed in close dialogue with historians and cultural experts to maintain fidelity to sources while keeping the images clear and readable at monumental scale.
Watching a desert capital reawaken at night
As night falls, the palace slowly lights up, shifting from ruin to stage. Layers of image, music, and sound effects play across the stone, animating battles, daily life, and ceremonial moments. The projection traces the transformation of a small desert settlement into a political and cultural centre, then into a contemporary symbol of continuity.
Visitors watch from the surrounding site as the building appears to breathe with color and motion, turning a static heritage into a temporary, shared experience. The show offers a concentrated encounter with Saudi history in the very place where much of it unfolded.
Letting a World Heritage speak for itself
Atturaif carries exceptional historical and symbolic weight as the first capital of the Saudi royal family. Any intervention had to respect the site’s archaeological integrity while making its stories legible to contemporary audiences.
The task was to visualize centuries of history on a fragile, irregular façade without resorting to generic spectacle, and to speak equally to Saudi citizens, international visitors, and official guests.
The Atturaif Living Museum façade mapping demonstrates how projection can support heritage storytelling without permanent interference in a sensitive site. By using the Salwa Palace itself as the narrative medium, the project deepens visitors’ emotional connection to the place and strengthens the role of Atturaif as a living symbol of Saudi history and continuity.
Project Highlights
- High-precision 3D mapping tailored to the irregular geometry of the Salwa Palace
- Hybrid film production combining live-action shoots with digitally reconstructed historical environments
- Seven-minute visual and sound narrative designed specifically for repeat outdoor screenings as part of the Atturaif Living Museum program
- Close collaboration with Saudi historians and filmmakers to ensure cultural and historical accuracy in all visual details
Facts & Figures
Lead agency: Boris Micka Associates
Live-action production: Nebras Films
Music and sound design: Miguel Alonso
Photography: Dirk van den Berg, Nikolai Gamasin, gtv.ae
