Driving engagement through unique digital and spatial innovation
Client
Science Gallery Melbourne, University of Melbourne
Timeframe
January 2019 - January 2021
Role
Lead Researcher
Engagement
3 in-person participatory workshops with the University community; ongoing design leadership
Objective
To envision and implement an interactive visitor experience that blends the qualities of architectural design with those of immersive technology.
Methodology
I approached this project through four key phases:
Crafting the Brief: I crafted design guidelines to shape how the gallery's digital design elements come together. With a focus on interaction, flexibility, durability, and sustainability, the guidelines balance aesthetics with functionality, helping to design an experience that feels fresh, inviting, and adaptable over time.
Conceptualising the Media Facade: Engaging the University community and specialist consultants through participatory workshops, we conceptualised a media facade that would be an integral part of Melbourne Connect. The goal was to create an innovative architectural canvas that offered Melbourne a fresh visual experience.
Developing The Digital Bricks: We refined the design and secured funding for the media facade, which evolved into The Digital Bricks—an installation featuring 226 high-definition screens embedded in the gallery's exterior brickwork. This facade displays a variety of media, from static images to dynamic video content and generative visualisations.
Designing Content: Collaborating with First Nations teams, we created the inaugural content piece, 'The Digital Birthing Tree.' This 24-minute video journey takes viewers from pre-colonial knowledge through Western colonisation, featuring photographs from the University of Melbourne's cultural collections.
“The Digital Bricks at Science Gallery Melbourne fuse technology and architecture with Australia's Indigenous culture using the world’s highest-resolution interactive display.”
— University leadership
Outcome
The Digital Bricks is a fully realised media architecture installation. As the largest combined pixel display in the Southern Hemisphere, it won the Media Architecture Award 2021. It is a testament to the efforts of the many collaborators and sets a new benchmark in interactive architecture and digital media. However, it also reinforces the University's pioneering role in architectural design, urban technology, human-computer interaction, and public engagement.
This project exemplifies how thoughtful integration of technology and culture can create meaningful and engaging public spaces.