Andorra Launches AR Tour Reviving 40+ Years of Ràdio Andorra History

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has launched the Ràdio Andorra Memory Space at the Encamp broadcasting centre, featuring an augmented reality tour that revives more than four decades of the station's history through interactive digital overlays on preserved areas.

Unveiled on Thursday, the initiative—developed by Andorran company Blit. Design, art and technology—uses tablets with headphones to deliver 360-degree footage, 3D recreations of equipment, and audiovisual content. Visitors explore 16 points along the itinerary, including the transmitter room with its restored original 1938 Société Française Radio-électrique emitter and 1963 Brown Boveri model, generator rooms, continuity areas, offices, and the building exterior. These virtual elements appear without modifying the structure, which houses Andorra Turisme offices elsewhere.

Culture Minister Mònica Bonell described the project as a way to restore shared history and breathe life into spaces that shaped Andorra's past, making them accessible to locals and tourists alike. The tour follows a fictional family inspired by Paul Cousse, who worked at the station from 1938 until its closure in April 1981, structured into thematic capsules by scriptwriter Agustí Franch. Content draws from extensive research, including catalogued archives, restored radio collections, historical studies, publications, and interviews—both archival recordings and fresh testimonies from former staff.

Producer Héctor Mas stressed the blend of historical accuracy and broad appeal, combining education with engaging narratives. Blit director Marc Colominas explained how the technology overcomes restrictions on altering protected spaces. Isabel de la Parte, director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, called the site more than an architectural landmark—a lens into Andorra's social, economic, and broadcasting shifts, plus its 20th-century global reach. She noted collaborative work since the government acquired the dilapidated building in 2009, involving the National Archive, National Library, specialists, and local firms. The centre, listed in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage, evolved from earlier plans like a proposed radio museum in 2012.

Free visits continue through July and August on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, requiring advance booking. Full programming, adapted around Andorra Turisme operations, will follow the Meritxell festival, with integration into the national cultural offer and potential school use from September, in line with the Strategic Culture Plan 2030.