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Projection mapping turns objects, often building facades, into animated canvases of blazing color. Historic and contemporary landmarks, including churches, cathedrals, bridges, arches, and castles, are creatively transformed to appear as optical illusions, their dimensions manipulated by notions of movement.

These fluid light shows, commonly combined with audio, can be admired at events all over the world, some staged as part of a festival, others a one-off wonder to celebrate a special occasion or significant anniversary.

Browse the gallery and be amazed by the visual extravaganza that is projection mapping.

▲Sea monsters are projected on the side of Sydney Opera house during the Vivid Sydney light show festival.

▲Osaka City Central Public Hall is given the 3D-projection mapping treatment.

▲The Neo-Gothic Saint Catherine's Church in Eindhoven.

▲Florence's medieval Ponte Vecchio as you rarely see it.

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Berlin Cathedral appears wrapped up like a birthday gift.

▲Moscow's landmark State University building becomes an animated facade.

▲The Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon during the city's Festival of Lights.

▲Bangkok's Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard Building in the city's Ratchadamri Road district.

▲The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is almost unrecognizable in this splash of color.

▲The Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket projected on the Washington Monument as part of the 'Apollo 50: Go for the Moon' celebrations. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Vaduz Castle, the palace and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein, illuminated for Liechtenstein‘s national holiday.

▲Leeds Civic Hall in the city's Millennium Square. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

▲Melbourne's famous Flinders Street takes on a new light.

▲The Federal Court of Malaysia, housed in the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, during New Year's Eve celebrations.

▲The Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage in Brussels during the 'Bright Brussels' festival of light.

▲St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow seen from the city's Spasskaya Tower.

▲The iconic Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

▲Praça do Comércio in Lisbon hides its standard yellow coloring. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

▲Bosnian writers are seen on the facade of the National Library during its opening ceremony in Sarajevo.

▲The Michi Terrace light-up event on the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

▲Berlin's Brandenburg Gate shimmers in an ethereal glow.

▲Prague's Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral during the city's Signal Festival.

▲A 3D-mapped projection show on the now-removed the Moreton Bay Fig Tree near Admiralty House as part of the Vivid Sydney festival.

▲The city's Titanic Belfast Light Show, projected on the iconic Titanic Building. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

▲The colonnaded facade of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

▲Scenes of the history of Madrid projected over the four facades of the city's main square (Plaza Mayor).

▲The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, glows in a colorful wash during the seaside resort's Brighton Festival. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

▲The historic town of Assisi in Umbria glows in an amazing Renaissance veneer.

▲Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. (Photo: Wikimedia /CC BY 2.0)

▲The Ferris wheel at Kontraktova Square in the historic center of Kiev becomes a projection-mapping canvas.

▲Götaplatsen public square in Gothenburg. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

▲The Sounds and Lights of Unity in Brussels is projected on the Arcades of Cinquantenaire to celebrate the 25th anniversary of German reunification.

▲The Swiss Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) in Berne illuminated with the map of Switzerland.

▲A projection on the facade of the National Museum in Krakow, inspired by a painting by Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański (1869–1907).

▲The Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Chanthaburi.

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Rochester Castle is illuminated with images of rock band AC/DC during a 2010 projection-mapping festival, an early example of projection mapping.