I recently learned that judges for the 2025 AV Awards panel have chosen The World Heritage Center to compete for Themed Entertainment and Attractions Project of the Year. The AV Awards recognize outstanding achievements of individuals, companies, projects, and technology in AV, events, and production sectors. It is certainly an honor to be selected as a finalist. Of course, for the sake of all the wonderful creators and collaborators on this project, I’d also like for it to win!
Update 09/16/25: The World Heritage Center has also been selected as a finalist for the Digital Signage Experience (DSE) Awards, AKA “The DIZZIEs”, in the category of Entertainment & Recreation. The DIZZIE Awards recognizes visionaries from around the world whose digital signage installations and campaigns challenge existing standards and drive the industry forward.
Updated 11/07/25: The WHC has been chosen to compete in the 2026 Digital Signage Awards during ISE week in Barcelona. Each year, the independent DSAs honor outstanding excellence and innovation across initiatives, design, products, and services from members of the worldwide digital signage community.
Given that the season for digital signage and AV awards is gearing up, I wanted to take a moment to highlight how cool this project is. And not just because it’s in my home state of Texas.
Some Background
San Antonio’s World Heritage Center (WHC) is the only World Heritage site in the State of Texas. It’s a space where the public can learn about and celebrate the historic San Antonio Missions and the surrounding area through a one-of-a-kind multimedia exhibition that brings to life the captivating stories and rich histories of mission communities.
The WHC is part of a larger strategy to create a community hub that will connect to other improvements on the campus, serving as a gateway to the San Antonio Missions and a gathering place for San Antonio residents and visitors. Through exhibits like the Portals and Evocative Objects, which incorporate dynamic LED video, the WHC tells the stories of local people, from those who encountered the Spanish to those who lived and worked in the Missions on to the present day. To do so, the audiovisual museum installations engage with and appeal to a new generation of visitors who are familiar with digital technology and who have high expectations of memorable in-person experiences.
The exhibits were conceived by G&A, a creative firm that specializes in transformative experience design. SNA Displays provided fine-pitch LED display technology for three exhibits at the WHC, which opened its doors in early 2025.
The Exhibits
Portals to the Missions
Portals to the Missions is a three-screen exhibit whose 1.9 mm LED displays are set into engraved wooden panels styled like archways in the traditional architecture of the Spanish Missions. The architecture was designed to evoke the feeling of looking through a doorway directly into the history of the area. The portal-themed exhibit consists of one 12’5” tall x 6’6” wide LED screen with two 6’6” x 3’11” displays on either side. Etched with artistic designs that represent the era, wooden panels mask the screens to create the archway effect and contain built-in speakers for a multi-sensory experience.
Evocative Objects
The pair of exhibits known as Evocative Objects are 1.2 mm LED screens built on the outer walls of walk-in immersion exhibits. Both displays are partially covered with artistic wooden masks to create distinct shapes such as a diamond and a quatrefoil, a common symbol in churches of that time period.
SNA Displays’ BRILLIANT™ Interior display series was a perfect choice because it can be configured with multiple cabinet sizes in a single display, allowing the exhibit designers at G&A to envision a video canvas with unique shapes that capture the imagination.
Impact
SNA Displays’ LED video solution for the San Antonio World Heritage Center allows the museum to tell stories in a highly compelling way using sound, images, video, and artistic content. The result is a space that celebrates the history of the Missions and the surrounding culture with digital displays that create an immersive storytelling experience. Furthermore, the technology solution is designed to allow WHC staff to update the exhibit easily as new stories are made or uncovered from the past.
G&A describes the new World Heritage Center as a gateway to history, culture, and community:
“The World Heritage Center (WHC) welcomes visitors and the community while engaging them in the history and living legacy of San Antonio’s missions as well as its outstanding universal value as a World Heritage Site. Designed to honor the rich heritage of the San Antonio Missions while serving as a dynamic space for both locals and visitors, the center weaves together storytelling, architecture, and technology to create an experience that is both immersive and deeply meaningful. From its interactive exhibits to its role as a gathering place, every detail was crafted with intention—to connect the past with the present and inspire future generations.”
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, via Facebook, “The World Heritage Center is a vital bridge connecting the past and present, inspiring future generations to appreciate and preserve our beloved San Antonio’s rich cultural heritage and share it with the world. Visitors can immerse themselves, connect with the communities surrounding the historic San Antonio Missions, and celebrate what makes San Antonio’s UNESCO World Heritage unique.”
I’d definitely like to echo all of those sentiments, and add one of my own. Creative applications of LED video such as these museum pieces demonstrate the power of display technology to educate and inspire visitors of all ages. There are few more rewarding experiences in my industry than seeing people light up with inspiration and wonder when they see these exhibits.
SNA Displays and audio-video providers from around the world representing all facets of the digital signage industry will be competing in 30 categories. Winners will be announced November 7 in London.
Zachary Todd is a marketing communications coordinator with SNA Displays and works out of the company’s Dallas office.