Immersive Spaces
Introduction “Immersive Spaces” features
“Immersive Spaces” was created
6 innovative projects within
by curatorial collective Immersion
practice and research of a new
and was funded by the British
generation of British designers
Council’s Architecture Design
that is developing new modes
Fashion (ADF) department which
of thinking and new processes
works across 109 countries to
of collaborative work in the
build trust and opportunity for
fields of product, exhibition and
the UK through the exchange of
architectural design. Operating
knowledge, experience and ideas
across a range of scales these
worldwide.
designers have reconsidered user and visitor experience
This publication - created
in narrative environments by
in parallel to the exhibition
developing new techniques,
“immersive Spaces” - primarily
working methods, and impactful
celebrates the history of
designs and spaces.
immersive spaces in a British context, but, also serves as
The exhibition “Immersive
an enquiry in the ways the
Spaces” and the public
6 showcased projects were
programme “The Craft and
conceived, designed and
Making of Immersive Spaces”
produced by their creators.
will be touring to Russia, China and Nigeria with the aim to
“The Craft and Making of
create links between designers
Immersive Spaces” - Events
and cultural institutions around
http://kuchawhoo5.wix.com/
the world, and a platform for
immersivespaces
exchanging knowledge and ideas between people.
Introduction “Immersive Spaces” features
“Immersive Spaces” was created
6 innovative projects within
by curatorial collective Immersion
practice and research of a new
and was funded by the British
generation of British designers
Council’s Architecture Design
that is developing new modes
Fashion (ADF) department which
of thinking and new processes
works across 109 countries to
of collaborative work in the
build trust and opportunity for
fields of product, exhibition and
the UK through the exchange of
architectural design. Operating
knowledge, experience and ideas
across a range of scales these
worldwide.
designers have reconsidered user and visitor experience
This publication - created
in narrative environments by
in parallel to the exhibition
developing new techniques,
“immersive Spaces” - primarily
working methods, and impactful
celebrates the history of
designs and spaces.
immersive spaces in a British context, but, also serves as
The exhibition “Immersive
an enquiry in the ways the
Spaces” and the public
6 showcased projects were
programme “The Craft and
conceived, designed and
Making of Immersive Spaces”
produced by their creators.
will be touring to Russia, China and Nigeria with the aim to
“The Craft and Making of
create links between designers
Immersive Spaces” - Events
and cultural institutions around
http://kuchawhoo5.wix.com/
the world, and a platform for
immersivespaces
exchanging knowledge and ideas between people.
Contents
Introduction Context Concept Scales Case Studies Architecture’s Scales Credits
Contents
Introduction Context Concept Scales Case Studies Architecture’s Scales Credits
Context The 19th century is thought to be one of the most important historic periods as it was during this time that science, technology, literature, and religious concepts were completely disentangled from one another. However, for every disenchantment there was an active re-enchantment of the world through fiction, magic and performance. Because the advances in all fields were so rapid, the natural and the supernatural often became blurred in popular thinking, at least for a time in the beginning of the Victorian Era. The Victorian era was also a time during which theatre flourished as a result of the aforementioned advances. It was also during that time that political reforms came into practice which led to the openness of theatre and literature. During Queen Victoria’s reign a lot of new theatres were built along with theatre schools. The concepts of immersion and experience stem from theatre and active re-enchantment.
Immersive Spaces
1800s
Circus performers on the streets of Victorian London
1850s
Victorian Theatre in London
Context In the 20th century another medium becomes the tool that the reality and visions of Britain, British history and society are represented. The rise of the moving image and cinema brought about a different understanding of immersion, which then in the post-war era architecture sought to encapsulate. The Fun Palace represented the possibility of learning, achieving creativity and individual fulfilment through a synergy and integration of architecture with audiences. The programmatic framework for the Fun Palace came from Joan Littlewood’s vision for an interactive, performative theater, that would awake the passive subjects of mass culture to a new consciousness. Similarly, Price would develop and refine his concept of an adaptable architecture designed for the varying needs and desires of the individual.
Immersive Spaces 1920s
Blackmail, 1929
1960s
Sketch for the Fun Palace, Cedric Price
Context The 19th century is thought to be one of the most important historic periods as it was during this time that science, technology, literature, and religious concepts were completely disentangled from one another. However, for every disenchantment there was an active re-enchantment of the world through fiction, magic and performance. Because the advances in all fields were so rapid, the natural and the supernatural often became blurred in popular thinking, at least for a time in the beginning of the Victorian Era. The Victorian era was also a time during which theatre flourished as a result of the aforementioned advances. It was also during that time that political reforms came into practice which led to the openness of theatre and literature. During Queen Victoria’s reign a lot of new theatres were built along with theatre schools. The concepts of immersion and experience stem from theatre and active re-enchantment.
Immersive Spaces
1800s
Circus performers on the streets of Victorian London
1850s
Victorian Theatre in London
Context In the 20th century another medium becomes the tool that the reality and visions of Britain, British history and society are represented. The rise of the moving image and cinema brought about a different understanding of immersion, which then in the post-war era architecture sought to encapsulate. The Fun Palace represented the possibility of learning, achieving creativity and individual fulfilment through a synergy and integration of architecture with audiences. The programmatic framework for the Fun Palace came from Joan Littlewood’s vision for an interactive, performative theater, that would awake the passive subjects of mass culture to a new consciousness. Similarly, Price would develop and refine his concept of an adaptable architecture designed for the varying needs and desires of the individual.
Immersive Spaces 1920s
Blackmail, 1929
1960s
Sketch for the Fun Palace, Cedric Price
Context
Place making
Context
Design and Collaboration
Narrative has been brought
In ‘design’, the changing adjectives
on individual attainment and personal
on further with the booming
that precede it indicate the
creativity was and is still very
economy and the flourishing digital
promotion and development of
influential in determining how creative
possibilities. Visitor experience
collaborative processes, with terms
people think independently. However,
such as ‘interdisciplinary’, ‘cross-
individualism and collaboration have
disciplinary’, ‘interactive’, ‘integrated’
been both considered in British
of engagement of public and
and ‘collaborative’ becoming more
design education in a way that
physical spaces. Theatre, cinema,
common.
enabled designers to find a balance
sector across the arts and leisure had to modify the boundaries
Shoreditch Station
architecture, museum environments
between the two.
had to adapt to performative modes
Collaboration is the process of
of engagement, provoking the
shared creation, in which two or
commercial sector to adjust the
more individuals interact to create a
story-telling manner.
Picadilly Circus Station
shared understanding that neither had previously possessed or could have come to on their own. Collaboration involves a blending of skills, temperaments, effort and personalities to realise a shared vision.
London Eye
The concept of collaboration in the context of the British society and culture has emerged from a juxtaposing basis and cultural heritage that celebrates the independent self and the glory of individual achievement (John Steiner, 2000: 204). The overwhelming focus Southbank Centre Proposal for 2020
Context
Place making
Context
Design and Collaboration
Narrative has been brought
In ‘design’, the changing adjectives
on individual attainment and personal
on further with the booming
that precede it indicate the
creativity was and is still very
economy and the flourishing digital
promotion and development of
influential in determining how creative
possibilities. Visitor experience
collaborative processes, with terms
people think independently. However,
such as ‘interdisciplinary’, ‘cross-
individualism and collaboration have
disciplinary’, ‘interactive’, ‘integrated’
been both considered in British
of engagement of public and
and ‘collaborative’ becoming more
design education in a way that
physical spaces. Theatre, cinema,
common.
enabled designers to find a balance
sector across the arts and leisure had to modify the boundaries
Shoreditch Station
architecture, museum environments
between the two.
had to adapt to performative modes
Collaboration is the process of
of engagement, provoking the
shared creation, in which two or
commercial sector to adjust the
more individuals interact to create a
story-telling manner.
Picadilly Circus Station
shared understanding that neither had previously possessed or could have come to on their own. Collaboration involves a blending of skills, temperaments, effort and personalities to realise a shared vision.
London Eye
The concept of collaboration in the context of the British society and culture has emerged from a juxtaposing basis and cultural heritage that celebrates the independent self and the glory of individual achievement (John Steiner, 2000: 204). The overwhelming focus Southbank Centre Proposal for 2020
Concept
The Exhibition looks at Immersive Design as presented on three different scales, ascending according to the physical involvement of the individual: as singular self-projection, two-way interactive conversation and the urban scenography as provocative immersive space. The era of digital involvement and interaction is traced by opposing the singular-multiple modes of selfprojection and is questioned through the range of collaborative works. The idea of an individual as being central to the British historical past and cultural heritage is exemplified with interdisciplinary creative collaborations. The craft and making of those immersive spaces by across-the-field professionals is the central focus of attention, where intangible visitor experience is brought to foreign audiences as physical objects and explanatory notes on their making to potentially provoke a cross-cultural response.
Scales
Concept
The Exhibition looks at Immersive Design as presented on three different scales, ascending according to the physical involvement of the individual: as singular self-projection, two-way interactive conversation and the urban scenography as provocative immersive space. The era of digital involvement and interaction is traced by opposing the singular-multiple modes of selfprojection and is questioned through the range of collaborative works. The idea of an individual as being central to the British historical past and cultural heritage is exemplified with interdisciplinary creative collaborations. The craft and making of those immersive spaces by across-the-field professionals is the central focus of attention, where intangible visitor experience is brought to foreign audiences as physical objects and explanatory notes on their making to potentially provoke a cross-cultural response.
Scales
Monolith
The Treachery of Sanctuary
Monolith was created by fashion designer Gareth Pugh and Inition for Selfridges as part of the Festival of Imagination.
The Treachery of Sanctuary was conceived and designed by Chris Milk and Ben Tricklebank among others for The Creators Project: San Francisco 2012.
The installation is a giant triptych that takes viewers through three stages of flight The device brought 3D visuals to life via a geometric Gareth Pugh
through the use of Kinect
VR headset, contained in a soundproof space, using Oculus Rift
controllers and infrared
technology.
sensors.
Inition worked closely with Pugh to produce a piece that reflected both his strong aesthetic and an original atmospheric soundtrack by
It engages with the user in
artist Matthew Stone, delivering a multi-sensory fully immersive VR
three different ways through
experience.
interaction and animation.
Monolith
The Treachery of Sanctuary
Monolith was created by fashion designer Gareth Pugh and Inition for Selfridges as part of the Festival of Imagination.
The Treachery of Sanctuary was conceived and designed by Chris Milk and Ben Tricklebank among others for The Creators Project: San Francisco 2012.
The installation is a giant triptych that takes viewers through three stages of flight The device brought 3D visuals to life via a geometric Gareth Pugh
through the use of Kinect
VR headset, contained in a soundproof space, using Oculus Rift
controllers and infrared
technology.
sensors.
Inition worked closely with Pugh to produce a piece that reflected both his strong aesthetic and an original atmospheric soundtrack by
It engages with the user in
artist Matthew Stone, delivering a multi-sensory fully immersive VR
three different ways through
experience.
interaction and animation.
Future Self
Volume
Future Self is a collaborative project between the design studio Random International, choreographer Wayne McGregor/Random Dance and composer Max Richter.
Volume represents an engineered response to the collaboration between United Visual Artists and One Point Six.
Human movement being studied and captured in light is the core element of this project, creating a three-dimensional sculptural installation. The tangibility and craft of the created structure is aimed at uniting the audience and questioning identities and self-projections in the digital age.
An immersive field created of sound and light-responsive custommade aluminium extrusions (Litestructures) encourages the visitor to play with the given light and sound dimensions, while exploring the way through the emerging inner and outer spaces and questioning the boundaries of private and public environments.
Future Self
Volume
Future Self is a collaborative project between the design studio Random International, choreographer Wayne McGregor/Random Dance and composer Max Richter.
Volume represents an engineered response to the collaboration between United Visual Artists and One Point Six.
Human movement being studied and captured in light is the core element of this project, creating a three-dimensional sculptural installation. The tangibility and craft of the created structure is aimed at uniting the audience and questioning identities and self-projections in the digital age.
An immersive field created of sound and light-responsive custommade aluminium extrusions (Litestructures) encourages the visitor to play with the given light and sound dimensions, while exploring the way through the emerging inner and outer spaces and questioning the boundaries of private and public environments.
Serpentine Pavilion Intervention Architecture ‘s Scales
Serpentine Pavilion Intervention is a United Visual Artists’ reading of Sou Fujimoto’s summer pavilion at Serpentine Gallery in London.
Architecture’s Scales is a triangle-looking installation with three LED screens opposed to each other and featuring talks by key-area specialists in order to provoke and encounter a conversation bonding around the visitor. Cecil Balmond (Balmond Studio), Roberto Botazzi (RCA) and Hugo Spiers (Spatial Cognition Lab, UCL) give their area’s perspectives on what an immersive space is and could be, tracing the idea of the individual perception and communication within crafted and narrated environments.
The Japanese architect’s carefully constructed grid of white poles ascending to create multiple interactive spaces has been highlighted with an electrical storm projection in order to question and converse the similarities in approaches to geometry, structure and space.
Serpentine Pavilion Intervention Architecture ‘s Scales
Serpentine Pavilion Intervention is a United Visual Artists’ reading of Sou Fujimoto’s summer pavilion at Serpentine Gallery in London.
Architecture’s Scales is a triangle-looking installation with three LED screens opposed to each other and featuring talks by key-area specialists in order to provoke and encounter a conversation bonding around the visitor. Cecil Balmond (Balmond Studio), Roberto Botazzi (RCA) and Hugo Spiers (Spatial Cognition Lab, UCL) give their area’s perspectives on what an immersive space is and could be, tracing the idea of the individual perception and communication within crafted and narrated environments.
The Japanese architect’s carefully constructed grid of white poles ascending to create multiple interactive spaces has been highlighted with an electrical storm projection in order to question and converse the similarities in approaches to geometry, structure and space.
Credits
Curator: Immersion * Films: Kirill Adibekov Exhibition Catalogue: Kristina Anilane and Theodora Pyrogianni Exhibition Design: Yi Chun Lee and Mo Cheng Public Programme: Mizuki Matsui and Mo Cheng Graphics: Yi Chun Lee
*Immersion is a curatorial collaboration between Kingston University/Design Museum students Kristina Anilane, Theodora Pyrogianni, Mizuki Matsui ,Yi Chun Lee, and Mo Cheng.
Immersive Spaces was funded by the British Council’s Architecture Design Fashion (ADF) department which works across 109 countries to build trust and opportunity for the UK through the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas worldwide.
Credits
Curator: Immersion * Films: Kirill Adibekov Exhibition Catalogue: Kristina Anilane and Theodora Pyrogianni Exhibition Design: Yi Chun Lee and Mo Cheng Public Programme: Mizuki Matsui and Mo Cheng Graphics: Yi Chun Lee
*Immersion is a curatorial collaboration between Kingston University/Design Museum students Kristina Anilane, Theodora Pyrogianni, Mizuki Matsui ,Yi Chun Lee, and Mo Cheng.
Immersive Spaces was funded by the British Council’s Architecture Design Fashion (ADF) department which works across 109 countries to build trust and opportunity for the UK through the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas worldwide.