Archinect - News

Iconic Parisian cathedral transformed into ‘sensory nighttime exploration’ by multimedia company Moment Factory

2023-10-26T12:53:00-04:00

Montreal-based Moment Factory has completed an immersive multimedia experience inside the iconic Dôme des Invalides in Paris. The project, titled 'AURA Invalides,' consists of a 50-minute experience combining video mapping, lighting, special effects, orchestral music, and sound design to celebrate the building’s architectural and historical heritage.

Image credit: Moment Factory

Conceived in 2019 by cultural operator Cultival in collaboration with Musée de l’Armée, the project seeks to create a “sensory nighttime exploration” in which visitors wander through the Dôme des Invalides and its six chapels guided by light. The experience is divided into three acts, each portraying a distinct facet of the site: “its construction, the memories it harbors, and its power to inspire one and all.”

Image credit: Moment Factory

To project an experience onto the main dome, which measures 295 feet high and 98 feet at its smallest diameter, the t...

France debuts 'Ball Theater' pavilion installation ahead of the 2023 Venice Biennale

2023-04-27T13:09:00-04:00

France’s pavilion to the 18th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale will feature an immersive interchange of identity and emotion inspired by ballroom dances and human rituals of experience-based social cohesion.

French studio Muoto partnered with scenographers Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna for the design of Ball Theater, which they say ties into curator Lesley Lokko’s thematic look to the future where “architecture is no longer to represent or to be represented as an image.”

Image courtesy of Muoto, Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna

Their project for the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs takes the form of a semi-spherical intervention that’s configurable for different immersive experiences all based around Ball Theater’s usage as a forum for artistic performances and civic inquiry.

Image courtesy of Muoto, Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna

Special events will be held in its hollowed chamber space, taking...

Refik Anadol repurposes his AI data sculpture 'Machine Hallucinations' for 2023 Grammy Awards stage

2023-02-07T18:54:00-05:00

Istanbul-born media artist and design innovator Refik Anadol has quickly become a household name with his mind-bending, data-driven art. This year, Anadol continues to push what's possible during his visual backdrop debut at the 65th annual Grammy Awards.

"The collaboration with the Recording Academy started almost six months ago with an exciting call from the designers who are in charge of the stage design and the whole flow of the ceremony," Anadol shared with Archinect.

Anadol's work can be seen in the background illuminating the space during the award's premier ceremony speech by the Recording Academy's CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Video courtesy of Recording Academy/Grammys.

Along with the event's lead production designer Julio Himede, the art direction team, and electronic graphics expert Hugh Grew, Anadol's distinct data-generated paintings from his AI artwork and NFT collections, Machine Hallucinations — Nature Dreams and Machine Hallucinations: Space Metaverse, could be spotted ...

Former Walt Disney Imagineering head Bob Weis joins Gensler

2023-01-13T13:06:00-05:00

The former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as a Global Immersive Experience Design Leader, according to a statement released by the firm. Before the move, Weis spent more than 30 years at Disney.

Having joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980, Weis became president of the studio in 2016. He led more than 200 major projects in his time at the studio, encompassing theme parks, attractions, resorts, and cruise ships in the U.S., Shanghai, Tokyo, and Paris. He has also consulted with Disney clients such as the Smithsonian, National Geographic, NASA, and the United States Navy.

“At Disney, we often collaborated with Gensler, and I was able to see firsthand its culture of design innovation that transforms the quality of life in our world,” said Bob Weis as the news was announced. “This is what visionary companies are seeking, a...

The new world's largest kaleidoscope is a sight to behold

2022-02-03T14:33:00-05:00

The creative landscape of Saudi Arabia got a colorful new addition as STUFISH Entertainment Architects has revealed its design for what the firm says is now the world’s largest kaleidoscope.

The massive 40 x 6 x 3-meter (131 x 19.5 x 10-foot) installation hinges on an intricate series of LED tiles and a combination of seamless and warp-less mirrors that create an expansive, awe-inspiring internal environment. Visitors will be exposed to scenes of the Arabian Peninsula's stunning natural landscape and spotted with digital content that promotes the country’s investment in high-tech development.

Image copyright Stufish courtesy of LEAP

The installation is part of the 2022 LEAP future technologies conference hosted by Saudi Arabia, which concluded today at Riyadh’s Front Expo Centre. STUFISH partner Maciej Woroniecki says it is meant to represent “how a simple and considered design, when supported with a material that can scale as intended, can return an experience that is far larger th...

Where does architecture fit in at this year's Salone del Mobile?

2019-04-10T16:50:00-04:00

April 9th kicks of a week filled with head-turning designs and exhibitions at this year's Salone del Mobile in Milan. Over 300,000 visitors from all over the globe come to experience the newest designs and ideas in product, furniture, and interiors. In conjunction with Milan Design Week, Salone del Mobile is one of the most highly anticipated design events of the year. From Muuto to Armani design professionals and enthusiasts flock to Milan to be apart of the conversation and witness upcoming design trends and innovations.

However, beyond the newest product trends and furniture designs where do architects fit? The event takes place in Milan, a city filled with rich architectural landscapes and history. This year's event even honors the 500th anniversary of Leonardo DaVinci's passing. A pioneer in the arts, science, and architecture an installation by Alessandro Colombo and Davide Rampello create a visual representation of da Vinci's approach to buildings and design. However, within...

Soviet architecture is the star of a new immersive indie video game called It's Winter

2019-03-14T21:15:00-04:00

It’s nighttime and you find yourself in a small, dark flat in a nondescript suburb in Russia. You look out of the window and see the courtyard covered in snow, illuminated by street lamps and the cold neon glare of storefronts. You turn on the light switch and look around your apartment. This is the melancholy start of a new immersive game made by developer Alexander Ignatov and poet Ilia Mazo.

The setting and landscapes of video game worlds add to the overall gaming experience, particularly free roaming games. Called a "sandbox" in the gaming community, the mission-less free to roam game allows the player to wander throughout the virtual world. Without a plot or mission to accomplish, gamers are allowed to do everything and nothing in the game It's Winter. Left with very little to dictate gameplay, the immersive gaming experience created by developer Alexander Ignatov and poet Ilia Mazo immerses players into a mundane suburban Russian tower block.

According to the developer the "post-Soviet and sad 3D game" has nothing awaiting the player. "There is no chance to get out, no room for adventures, nor a breathtaking plot.” All you have to do is experience the precisely detailed, pixelated mundanity of the world around you." The only thing players are left with, however, are the detailed building interiors a...

Retail stores are changing. Brands call for architects to aid them during the retail revolution

2019-03-05T10:18:00-05:00

With the rise of e-commerce titans and online shopping services like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay brands have entered a precarious position in terms of satisfying consumer demand while maintaining interest within retail stores. With the rise of online availability, the need for items can be accomplished at the push of a button. However, some brands are trying to find ways to make retail stores relevant and interesting in today's consumer market. Have retail stores lost their touch? Alternatively, have they merely lost their vision of what the brand can look like offline. Online shopping is great, but when it comes to user experience, certain brands are taking matters into their own hands.

Image courtesy of March Blinch/Reuters

Apple and Nike have already made drastic attempts at focusing their attention and shifting their flagship stores into immersive spaces that offer a grander sense of connectivity with the product. User experience and interactive design go beyond flashing lights an...

Eric Owen Moss-designed Vespertine wins the 2019 Atmosphere of the Year Award

2019-03-01T15:31:00-05:00

The World Restaurant Awards reviews restaurants all over the world and considers not only food taste and quality but also recognizes the restaurant as a culture. Created by IMG, the awards celebrate establishments in 12 "Big Plate" categories and 6 "Small Plate" categories. This year it has been announced that the Culver City-based restaurant, Vespertine has received the Atmosphere of the Year Award.

Image courtesy of Vespertine

Dining area; Image courtesy of Eric Owen Moss Architects

Nestled within Culver City's Hayden Tract, the restaurant was the vision of Chef Jordan Kahn who collaborated with famed architect Eric Owen Moss. Together, the two helped reimagine and explore new experiences to dining. By blending food, art, music, architecture, and sculpture the restaurant has received public recognition and fame among the Los Angeles food scene.

Vespertine Dish; Image by Anne Fishbein

Orach, caramelized lobster and quince; Image by Anne Fishbein

At first glance, the restaurant's twi...