Illuminating History in Acapulco

One of Mexico´s most popular and beautiful seaside resorts, Acapulco enjoys a romantic and glorious history. An important crossroads of civilization, the port of Acapulco was transformed into a trading port and shipyard after the Spanish conquest. A haven for pirates, the Fort of San Diego was built to defend the city from their attacks. Now a top tourist destination, Acapulco has retained its stature as one of Mexico’s most important commerce and trading ports.  

Now the Historical Museum of Mexico, the authorities of the Fort of San Diego asked Martin’s Mexican distributor Grupo Mundo to design a multimedia spectacle which would tell the history of this important building while generating international acclaim for the city of Acapulco.

Old meets new
With the Fort’s unique historical background in mind, and after making a series of preliminary studies, Grupo Mundo defined a technical and artistic project that combined the architecture of old with modern multimedia technologies like automated lighting, audio systems, water screens and video projection. A script was created with help from a specialist in Mexican history and coordinated by the National Institute of Anthropology and History.    

Exterior color wash
The bilingual show premiered in August of 2002 and begins each evening at dusk in the gardens of the Fort. The 30-minute show takes visitors on a magical virtual trip through four centuries in the history of the Fort of San Diego, covering the peoples, traditions and history of Acapulco.

Light from Martin Exterior luminaries bathe the old walls of the fort with eight Exterior 600 Compacts color washing the main entrance, bridge and walls. Thirteen Exterior 200 color changers wash a 210 ft long wall in the show area while two Exterior 200s are used as ambient lighting of the audience. The show was programmed on a Martin Case 1+ board. A surround sound audio system and series of video images projected onto a water curtain and two walls of the building add to the spectacle.

Thanks to the original production visitors to Acapulco and the San Diego Fort can not only be entertained by a modern multimedia show but learn about the fascinating history of the region as well.

Grupo Mundo of Mexico specializes in the design of multimedia spectacles, industrial shows and the production of artistic spectacles of all sorts. With 25 years of experience in the market, the company is uniquely qualified to design, produce and install a production of this importance. Important museum and cultural institution installations completed by Grupo Mundo include a multimedia spectacle at the National Museum of Anthropology and History of Mexico; a light and sound show at the Polyforum Siqueiros; and many multimedia shows in the archaeological zones of Tulum, Uxmal, among others.