Rotunda 360:
Indigenous Peoples in Capitol Art

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) maintains the buildings and grounds of the U.S. Capitol while also preserving thousands of momentous art pieces.

The Challenge

Together with the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), they sought help from us to bring the story of Native American people to life within the historical depictions of America’s origin story hanging in the Capitol Rotunda. The project aimed to share an intimate look at the artwork through an Indigenous lens. It was not about questioning its relevancy or the artists’ intent, but to simply bring the presence and contributions of Native American People into focus.

The Challenge

The Solution

We pieced out the project, first working in tandem to build the space, design the interface, and outline the content for each depiction.

Working with AOC photographers, our team gathered the necessary 360° images needed to build the 3D space. Extensive image correction was completed to remove shadows, reflections, the photographer, and equipment used to capture the images. They were then color balanced, resulting in extremely high-resolution images that were all stitched together to create the space.

Routine meetings with the AOC project team and curator ensured historical accuracy and alignment of vision throughout the multi-year production.

The project wouldn’t be complete without a video to welcome visitors to the experience and set the stage. We saw this integral part of the experience as an opportunity to honor and celebrate the rich diversity of Native American people, as we set out to record Native greetings from tribal regions across the country. Extensive research was also conducted to accurately reflect the cultural art styles, sounds, landscapes and wildlife found within each region.

Working in a 3D space, we were tasked with blocking out the animation in a new way. While traditional video work is composed for the frame, we had to plan and design for every possible angle and path the user might take in the immersive experience. Multiple animation techniques were used including traditional 2D frame-by-frame scenes for the animals that were combined into a full, 3D environment and rendered into the 360° video.

The rendering process was one of the biggest hurdles we had to overcome. Multiple passes were needed for each element being placed in the Rotunda – every pattern, every scene, every animal. All before the final output renders that required additional lengthy passes and meticulous compositing. The entire rendering process totaled weeks, if not months, often causing those located near the render farm to shed a layer or two.