February 16, 2017—Planetarium Hamburg, established both as an astronomical and entertainment destination for northern Germany, is undergoing a massive refurbishment in preparation for its grand reopening on February 14th, 2017. To create more space, they have excavated a new lower level that will feature a new café, exhibits, a shop and new offices. Their 21-meter planetarium in the upper level of the historic water tower that comprises the facility, will reopen with an 8K resolution Digistar 6 system with 3D stereo from Evans & Sutherland. This beautifully bright, ultra-high resolution system will extend the scope of the creative and scientific programming that can be presented, and will offer audiences the first 3D fulldome experience in Germany (and only the third Digistar 3D system in Europe). The system uses active stereo 3D glasses for exceptional three-dimensional images that leap off the screen, creating a whole new level of immersion, which is enhanced even further by the 3D Spatial Soundwave System and the immersive laser system of the theater—making it the first planetarium worldwide, which combines 3D Sound with 3D Vision.

Hamburg Planetarium features a hybrid planetarium system with a Zeiss Universarium Mark IX integrated with Digistar 6 for incredibly flexibility and remarkable audience impact. The 8K Digistar system uses five Christie Mirage 304K projectors seamlessly blended together using E&S' auto alignment and auto blending systems that will keep the imagery looking expertly aligned with the click of a mouse.

Planetarium Director Thomas Kraupe said, “Planetarium Hamburg has enjoyed a long partnership with Evans & Sutherland, and their new Digistar 6 system offers many essential features that are unique in the industry. We plan to leverage the amazing capabilities of Digistar 6 in 2D and 3D fulldome to take our audiences beyond the high expectations we have set for them over the years.” 

E&S President and COO Kirk Johnson said, “We value the team at Planetarium Hamburg and their creative vision that expands the use of their digital immersive dome to subjects beyond astronomy. They have effectively built new audiences for the dome and continue to be on the leading edge of innovative programming in the worldwide fulldome community. We look forward to where they take their audiences with the power of Digistar 6 in 8K.” 


About Planetarium Hamburg

More than 300,000 people experience the cosmos every year in the former water tower located in the Hamburg city park. Planetarium Hamburg is a meeting place for the public with culture and science, which is well-known far beyond the borders of Germany, with its unique technical possibilities and the wide-ranging programming. The story of Us and the Universe is at the center of its presentations. In addition, the visitors of the Planetarium are touched by poetic and musical journeys into cosmic and artistic virtual landscapes – up close and in technical brilliance. www.planetarium-hamburg.de

About Evans & Sutherland

Evans & Sutherland (www.es.com) provides Digistar 6, the world's most advanced digital fulldome planetarium and digital dome cinema system, ideal for replacing 1570 film systems. Digistar 6 combines fulldome video playback in 2D and 3D with the most comprehensive real time 3D digital astronomy package ever assembled, all within a powerful easy-to-use graphical user interface that makes creating shows more intuitive than ever. The unique capabilities of the system, the Digistar Cloud Library (a resource for community content sharing), Domecasting (live broadcasting to planetariums), Show Builder (a powerful and intuitive way to build shows), the Digistar STEAM library (included content for science, technology, engineering, art, and math), and Ease of Use, combine to provide unequalled capabilities for immersive dome experiences. Evans & Sutherland is also the world's leading producer and distributor of digital fulldome shows including show converted from giant screen film. As a full-service system provider, E&S also offers Spitz domes, SciDome, hybrid planetarium systems and a full range of theater systems. E&S markets include planetariums, science centers, themed attraction venues, and premium large-format theaters. E&S products have been installed in over 1,300 theaters worldwide. Visit the E&S website at www.es.com.