For Columbus’s bicentennial celebration, the historic Ulrich Block Building became a time machine. Extensive historical research shaped an original projection show that carried audiences through 200 years of local life, celebrating the people, businesses, and everyday details that helped define Columbus and Bartholomew County.
The ten-minute show used the Ulrich Block Building’s architecture as a framework for moving through two centuries. Original visuals and architectural illusions turned its façade into a changing window onto the past, bringing the research to life at the scale of the building.
The story began with research. Working closely with local businesses, our team explored the shops, industries, and residents that shaped the community across generations. Those discoveries guided the content, grounding the spectacle in stories connected to the people watching.
Each era needed its own visual identity. Radios, televisions, and clothing manufactured in Columbus became details within the scenes, connecting broader historical changes to objects from everyday life. This attention to historical context made the journey personal to the city.
