900pbs, an experience design agency, and its national partners just delivered one of the largest and most complex projection-mapping projects in the US, transforming the Washington Monument into a four-sided, 555-foot storytelling canvas to launch America’s semiquincentennial.
Rising 555 feet tall and mapped across all four sides of the monument, the projection transformed the historic structure into a luminous canvas illustrating pivotal moments from America’s 250-year history. The content blended large-scale animation, motion graphics, custom audio and voiceover to create a fully immersive experience tailored to the monument’s unique geometry and vertical scale.
The Washington Monument served as a dynamic storytelling surface, with visual sequences depicting themes of discovery, innovation, service and resilience. Content highlights included interpretations of the Wright brothers’ first flight, the sacrifices of U.S. veterans and Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb rendered using a mix of 2D, 2.5D and 3D animation techniques engineered specifically for the monument’s proportions and sightlines.
The projection marked the opening moment of a year long slate of events planned throughout 2026 to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s enduring ideals. The event was produced in partnership with Freedom 250, the national organisation leading the country’s semiquincentennial observance.
