Portlantis

Portlantis, located at the westernmost point of the Port of Rotterdam, is an exhibition centre inviting visitors to explore the 100-year history and future of Europe’s largest port. While an existing visitor centre was already in place, the Port Authority sought a new, future-focused destination that combines interaction, storytelling, and cutting-edge AV technology.

With the goal of transforming complex port operations into engaging multi-sensory experiences, full-service system integrator, Ata Tech, was tasked with managing the entire technical infrastructure of Portlantis, including audio, visual, lighting, network and control systems, ensuring all elements work together to create an immersive and educational environment.

Genelec’s 4410 Smart IP loudspeakers were a core element of Portlantis, with 80 of the compact boxes placed strategically to deliver detailed, localised effects, such as gentle lapping water or the hum of cranes, ships, and industrial machinery. The network-based Smart IP technology simplified installation and allowed precise zoning and remote system management.

An additional 34 K-array Vyper KV25 II loudspeakers delivered highly focused direct sound for individual visitors, ensuring that exhibit audio – such as narrative content, spoken text, or sound effects – is clearly perceived while minimising spill into the surrounding spaces. Audio is controlled via Xilica Solaro processors and QLab to ensure seamless synchronisation with the wider AV system.

In addition to audio, Ata Tech also installed a series of DMX-controlled lighting elements, supported by 52 sACN universes and Casami wireless control. The lighting dynamically adapts to the narrative of each zone, guiding visitors through environments, from realistic harbour scenes to futuristic energy transition labs.

One of the interactive activities includes the Cargo experience, featuring a combination of live maritime footage captured by Canon IP-cameras and augmented reality overlays, providing information, animations, and statistics about maritime traffic.

At the heart of the experience is the model table, equipped with Philips videowalls supporting a 3D-printed transparent model of the harbour, allowing visitors to explore different layers of port operations, manually operated via Pharos Architectural Control touch panels.

Pharos Show Control acts as the technical core of Portlantis, coordinating audio, video, and lighting across all zones with precise synchronisation. Every visitor interaction – whether touching a touchscreen, operating the interactive model, rotating a panoramic display, or moving through VR spaces – is translated in real time into responsive visual and auditory effects, ensuring a fully integrated immersive experience.

The structure of Portlantis resembles five shipping containers stacked at different angles, creating a striking architectural landmark from the outside, but an acoustic challenge on the inside. Audio plays a crucial role in the immersive experience of Portlantis, but the open atrium spanning three floors meant sound from any level could easily travel through the building.

Ata Tech created a carefully balanced soundscape, using over 100 Genelec and K-array loudspeakers to ensure clear, localised audio while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere throughout the space.

Ata Tech delivered and installed the complete technical ecosystem of Portlantis, including more than 100 strategically positioned loudspeakers, 18 projection screens, 20+ interactive touchscreens, 30 VR headsets, and 64 iPad Pro devices providing augmented reality experiences.

Across the site, Pharos panels are installed to provide intuitive control of audio, video and lighting controls, ensuring interactive activities and immersive elements run smoothly and reliably throughout the day.

Since opening, Portlantis has quickly become a popular destination for tourists, schools and business visitors. Audio, visual, and lighting have proven integral to bringing the centre to life, combining interactive exhibits and immersive soundscapes to deliver a unique educational space.

The quality and precision of Ata Tech’s integration ensure sound, light and interactivity work in harmony to tell the port’s story – transforming complex industrial processes into an accessible and engaging visitor experience.

Thanks to the fully integrated infrastructure, Portlantis is not only a technical showcase but also a highly flexible and future-proof platform. New technologies, interactive displays, or expansions can be easily added without disrupting the existing system architecture, allowing the visitor centre to continuously evolve. This scalable and modular setup ensures that Portlantis will remain one of Europe’s most advanced immersive experience centres, offering every visitor a unique and memorable exploration of the Port of Rotterdam for years to come.