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Central Tejo

Character films and animation for an interactive exhibition about how we produce, use and share energy.

Client
Fundação EDP / MAAT Central
Partner
TOYNO · With Company · EDIGMA
Year
2023
Wheels’ role
Animation production · Character motion · Screen films · Integration-ready visual assets
The brick facade of Central Tejo with the MAAT sign beside the riverside walkway.

Photo: Paulo Valdivieso (Industrial Landscapes #5) / Wikimedia Commons (2016). Resized and converted to WebP. · CC BY-SA 2.0

Museum exhibition

Energy stories across films and interactive screens.

For Fundação EDP’s História da Energia exhibition at MAAT Central, the former Central Tejo power station in Lisbon, Wheels worked alongside Zé Pedro Abreu on animation production. With Company supplied the visual identity and illustrations; TOYNO coordinated the exhibition. We turned the supplied artwork into animated films, characters, loops and layered visual assets for EDIGMA’s interactive systems.

Architecture

Silent animation excerpts from the four Habitar films. Original illustration and visual design: With Company.

Motion for interaction

Motion prepared for visitor input.

  1. 01

    At rest

    Idle loops kept the illustrated scenes moving before a visitor made a choice.

  2. 02

    On a visitor’s choice

    Character and sector animations were supplied as separate layers and sequences, with timing references for the developer.

  3. 03

    Back to the opening state

    Intro, loop and exit assets let EDIGMA sequence the content within its applications and physical installations.

Decarbonisation motion reference and future-energy map. The first is a production composite showing the animated content, rather than a recording of the installed application.

Bicycle exhibit

Separate visual layers for a ride through the exhibition.

The bicycle experience combined a projected environment, foreground animation and on-screen messages. Wheels coordinated specialist 3D production and prepared the scene, textures and animated components for handoff. EDIGMA developed the real-time playback, visitor-input logic and installation.

A bicycle faces a projected illustrated road in MAAT Central, beside a display of ride information.
The bicycle experience and a 9-second production composite of the 3D route and animated handlebars. EDIGMA developed the real-time installation.
The mobility area at MAAT Central, with a yellow historic electric car, charging equipment and exhibition displays.
The mobility area places the animated screen content within the wider exhibition.

Production handoff

Built around the screens, formats and playback constraints.

Charging scenarios covered home, work, shopping and fast charging. The Habitar films, behaviour displays and future map each needed their own composition and timing. Transparent MOVs, PNG sequences and preview files gave the integration team options for playback. Later production rounds addressed framing, loops and on-screen prompts.

The charging-screen opening loop. Animation: Wheels Studio. Original illustrated visual language: With Company.
Ocean and hydropower exhibits at MAAT Central, with water footage across shaped screens beside a turbine.
The ocean and hydropower displays in the exhibition. Wheels’ later production work included adjustments to these screen films and their playback formats, within the wider team’s production.

Project credits

End client
Fundação EDP / MAAT Central
Exhibition coordination
TOYNO
Visual identity and original illustration
With Company
Production coordination and client liaison
Zé Pedro Abreu
Wheels Studio
Animation, character motion, screen films and visual assets prepared for interactive playback
Interactive systems and installation
EDIGMA