Andorra Opens Ràdio Andorra Memory Space with AR Tour at Encamp

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has opened the Ràdio Andorra Memory Space at the Encamp broadcasting centre, offering visitors an immersive augmented reality tour that recreates the station's operations over four decades.

Presented on Thursday, the project—developed by Andorran firm Blit. Design, art and technology—uses digital tablets for 360-degree footage, 3D recreations of machinery, and audiovisual resources. These overlay virtual elements onto the preserved transmitter room, generator areas, continuity spaces, offices, and building exterior without altering the original structure. The rest of the site, occupied by Andorra Turisme offices, remains unaffected.

Culture Minister Mònica Bonell said the space aims to share the station's legacy not just with Andorrans but also visitors, restoring collective memory in a building that symbolises the Principality's 20th-century international projection. The narrative follows a fictional family living at the station, structured into thematic capsules by scriptwriter Agustí Franch. These draw from years of research, including restored radio collections, catalogued archives, historical investigations, publications, and interviews with former staff—old recordings and new testimonies alike.

Producer Héctor Mas highlighted the balance between historical rigour and accessibility, blending education with engaging storytelling. Blit director Marc Colominas noted the technology addresses the challenge of intervening in a space that cannot be physically changed. Department of Cultural Heritage director Isabel de la Parte emphasised the site's value beyond architecture: as a window into Andorra's social, economic, and broadcasting evolution. She credited collaborative efforts by the National Archive, National Library, specialists, and local firms since the government acquired the building in 2009, when it was in poor condition.

Ràdio Andorra broadcast from August 1939 until its closure in 1981, promoting Andorra globally. The centre appears in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage and aligns with the Strategic Culture Plan 2030 to valorise existing infrastructure.

Free visits run through July and August on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, with advance booking required. Full programming, adapted to coexist with Andorra Turisme offices, follows the Meritxell festival, with plans for integration into the national cultural offer and potential educational use from September.