China's 105' "Multimedia Tower" Literally Looks Insane

A 105' spire, armed to the teeth with stage lights, projectors, and industrial lasers, rises out an artificial body of water in Shanghai. The Lake of Illusions is a new multimedia tower that, by night, turns into a full-blown audiovisual performance spectacle. Digital characters dance, walk, and fly around the lake like an opera from the future. At one point during the show, the tower turns into a giant sword wielded by one of the protagonists.

Lake of Illusions follows a captivating narrative, “a poetic tale inspired by China’s storytelling traditions,” according to ECA2, the French large-scale multimedia production company behind the tower. The 360 degree light tower sits at center of a giant fountain not dissimilar to the one outside of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, except that lasers, projectors, and stage lights operate in tandem with it. Beams of light pass through pillars of water, and the projectors use the mist and spray from the fountain’s display as the backdrop for their projected images.

ECA2 released a highlight reel that shows the production team using motion capture technology to recreate the movements of dancers and gymnasts in their particle projections. Oh, and did I mention there’s fire? Watch it, and see images of the tower in action, below:

For more work by the ECA2 production team, head over to their website.

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