On the 16th April 2010, at a site known for its violent history, a modern day battle took place of epic proportions. On the front facade of the Great Keep at Rochester Castle, ACDC were pitted against Iron Man in a groundbreaking architectural projection-mapping project to promote the film Iron Man II.

The latest in animation techniques were projected through 3 Christie HD18K projectors, bringing the castle to life and presenting the audience with a visual and auditory feast that climaxes with the collapse of this historical building. Interactive arts & technology creative Seeper created the stunning content for this unique guerrilla-style projection, which was played out three times to a completely unaware Rochester public who simply couldn’t believe their eyes and then began flocking to the Castle to get a closer look.

Strategically placed astride the London Road, guarding an important crossing of the River Medway, Rochester Castle has a complex history of destruction and rebuilding. Its mighty Norman tower-keep of Kentish ragstone was built c. 1127 by William of Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury, with the encouragement of Henry I. Consisting of three floors above a basement, it still stands 113 feet high.

The lack of architectural drawings and the immense depth of the keep presented enormous challenges for accurate projection mapping. The need to preserve the secrecy of the project and the consequent lack of time in which to set things up meant that a quick, simple and effective projection solution was required, so QED decided to deploy three Christie HD18Ks tripled up and mounted on their sides in order to be able to cover the entire facade with one projection source.
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