First thing to read!!! (with the new posts)

Going to the Expo clarified a lot of things for me about the communication of information, which will be most of the real program of my thesis project. I became pretty interested in the ways that interactive digital displays has changed the communication of information, and what that does to architecture. This is a little snippet/essay that sort of sums up my conclusions about the challenges of integrating informational technology into spaces.

The new millennium has ushered in the age of virtual reality. People seek out spatial simulations for almost everything, from training to fly an airplane to navigating a new city. The power of this virtual technology is in its ability to create a controlled experience. By using auditory, visual, sensual, and textual cues, simulations can communicate information with unparalleled speed. The creators of virtual reality can also provide for a seemingly limitless number of different experiences. The downside to a completely controlled experience is twofold. First, these simulations must provide a constant level of stimulation. Even if a player in a virtual reality game makes a wrong turn, the consequences are to his ability to achieve his goal, not the quality of the space that he occupies. Second, because every aspect of a virtual experience has been designed, the opportunity for new and original experiences is actually limited. Thus people tend to assume a passive role in a virtual experience.

In contrast to virtual reality, architecture is limited in its ability to communicate information. A space can not instruct a person to operate a plane. But because architects cannot control a complete experience, buildings encourage independent initiative and are capable of creating original, unforeseen experiences. Any person that has experienced the joy of walking down a hallway to see the view from a window has experienced the power of architecture to encourage personal initiative.

So... given that, what I am trying to show with this series of diagrams is how designers coped with the challenge of creating good spaces while still taking advantage of new technology. This is something I wrote about my first diagram, which will be the next post, so you can use it as a guide to see what I'm talking about with the rest of the diagrams.

South Korea’s pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo of 2010 demonstrates an excellent strategy that takes advantage of both interactive technological components and spatial organization. In many of their displays, the architects physically separated the user’s input from the digital output. When a person manipulates the device, they can see both the way that they are manipulating the device and the way that their input changes the output. However, those that are behind the person can only see the way that the output is being changed by the user. This creates first a feeling of suspense: what is creating these changes? Second, it adds an element of theatricality: the person manipulating the device becomes a performer of sorts because their bodily contortions are being viewed simultaneously with the output of the device. They become a part of this exhibit.