At a total project cost of £35 million, the new attraction is due to open in late 2012, 30 years after the nation watched as the hull of the 450-year old Tudor warship was lifted from the Solent. Visitors will be enticed with the promise of being able to look into the glass hotbox where the final stages of the 30-year conservation process of the ship are taking place. Alongside this, there will be the opportunity to view a huge array of previously unseen personal, domestic and military artefacts. In 2016, the final phase of conservation will be complete and with the glass removed, visitors will be able to pass through the viewing galleries containing the iconic hull of the Mary Rose.
The audio visual displays, with hardware designed and developed by Sysco AV, provide vivid insights into life on board a 16th century warship. Touchscreens, video and multi-channel audio are used to create soundscapes and interactives that bring alive the stories of those people who served and died on the ship. A large-scale immersive projection engaging a visitor's whole peripheral vision and using directional audio conveys the experience of seeing the ship raised from the waters.
(Claire Beeson)
