Media Architecture Institute

Dr M. Hank Haeusler, General Chair of the Media Architecture Biennale 2016 and Director of Computational Design at UNSW Australia shares Top 5 Things you didn’t know about Digital Placemaking…

Digital Placemaking is defined as the use of digital technology within a dedicated public urban space, designed specifically for the purpose of communicating with the public. More often than not, it is associated with images on public buildings. These are only a part of the picture that makes up the world of digital placemaking.

Here, Dr Haeusler, de-bunks some common myths and introduces us to world of digital placemaking:

1. Digital Placemaking IS energy efficient.
Dr Haeusler explains this is because it optimises the use of resources by providing better data and accurate information. Also, the LED lights used in projects are the most energy efficient available.

2. The World’s BIGGEST placemaking project is…
The transformation of Times Square, New York. MAB16, Keynote speaker, Ethan Kent worked on this project with the aim of creating an interactive, digital plaza.

3. Digital Placemaking is critical to the creation of future cities.
Digital Placemaking and Smart Cities will transform the use of our cities in the same way the smart phone has transformed the way we communicate with each other.

4. More and more people are studying Digital Placemaking.
The Bachelor Degree of Design Computing at the University of Sydney and the Bachelor of Computational Design at UNSW are two “one-of-a-kind” degrees where future digital placemakers are educated.

5. Digital Placemaking projects come from everywhere.
… and bring people together as Vivid Sydney does each year – what digital placemaking aims is bringing the buzz of Vivid Sydney into a city and using the connectivness and interaction to address problems in our cities such as public transport.

Media Architecture Summit 2016 – Frankfurt

BLITZFÄNGER is an interactive installation that allows up to 9 people to create and control lightning on a large-scale LED screen. As a homage to the power of nature and our attempt to control it, the audience is invited to grab one of the 3 meter poles from the floor and position them vertically like lightning rods. As soon as they do a system detects their position and lightnings appear on the LED screen allowing them to control them with their movement.

This project was created as part of the ‘Human Futures’ program of artistic exchange between Europe and Canada and under the ‘living spaces’ curatorial theme. BLITZFÄNGER took place at the entrance of a new residential complex outside of Vienna in between the train and the buildings and was designed to disrupt the routine of the inhabitants that just go in and out of the complex allowing them to get to know, or at least see the people they live around.

Created by Iregular
Concept, graphic and sound design: Daniel Iregui
Technical Direction: François Loubert-Hudon
Technical Assistance: Juan Carvajal
Produced by: Media Architecture Institute
Powered by: X-Agora
Curated by: Gernot Tscherteu

funded by the European Union

„This is going to be a great Kiez-show” – with this headline the biggest German tabloid newspaper commented on the installation of the ONLYGLASS Mediafaçade at the Klubhaus St.Pauli. And they are absolutely right. The spectacular installation of eleven panes for the lift was a big show. In mid-July time had come. In the early morning a huge truck crane arrived at the building site of the future entertainment center. Unfortunately the rain interrupted the whole procedure. The glass panes have a weight of around 600 kilograms and were held by ten huge suction cups when being heaved. Therefore the panes needed to be absolutely dry before the suction cups could be put on it. At 10 a.m. the rain finally stopped and preparations for the installation could start. The tension rose, also for the media representatives. The public Northern German Broadcasting (NDR) even sent a video journalist and an outside broadcast van to report from the building site (The reportage you can find here (in German))

  Smart Citizen Lab (SCL) ist eine Veranstaltungsserie in der Seestadt aspern und eine damit verknüpfte Informationskampagne. Beide Maßnahmen zielen darauf ab die Entwicklung Wiens zu einer „Smart City“ zu unterstützen, indem sie möglichst viele Wienerinnen und Wiener informieren und zum Mitmachen einladen. SCL widmet sich inhaltlich folgenden Bereichen:

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Wohnen und Energie (Smart Home, Wohnen im Niedrigenergie- / Passivhaus, energieeffiziente Leuchtmittel, Möbelauswahl, …)

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Ressourcen (Reparieren, teilen und tauschen, Foodcoops, Tauschkreise, digitale Plattformen, Gemeinschaftsgärten…)

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Mobilität (Carsharing, Mobiltätspools, Fahrradverkehr, Leihräder, Routenplanung, …) ExpertInnen, UnternehmerInnen und PionierInnen teilen dabei ihr Wissen und ihre Erfahrungen mit Menschen, die selbst aktiv werden wollen. Neben dem Transfer von Know-how ist dabei auch der Aufbau von sozialen Strukturen und die Bildung von Initiativen von großer Bedeutung. Erst durch die Einbeziehung und die Vernetzung ihrer Bürgerinnen und Bürger wird eine Smart City nachhaltig. Wien braucht seine „Smart Citizens“ um die ehrgeizigen Ziele der „Smart City Wien Rahmenstrategie“ zu erreichen. Smart Citizens Lab ist ein gemeinsames Projekt des Media Architecture Institute und der ÖGUT und wird gefördert von der Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, einem Fonds der Stadt Wien.   weitere Infos und Termine:   http://smartcitizens.at/

The European Urban Media Network Connecting Cities is a network with the aim of creating an exchange between urban activists, creatives, passers-by and city inhabitants from all over the world via media façades and large digital screens. As an interdisciplinary network, Connecting Cities unites political, economic and artistic interests. The initiator of the project is Public Art Lab (Berlin) in cooperation with Ars Electronica Futurelab Linz, BIS (Body Process Arts Association) Istanbul, FACT Liverpool, iMAL Brussels, m-cult Helsinki, Medialab Prado Madrid, Media Architecture Institute Vienna, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, Riga 2014 and Videospread Marseille. Other partners include the Aarhus University, Marseille-Provence 2013, MUTEK Montréal and Quartier des spectacles Montréal. (more…)

The media architecture compendium is a collection of about 46 unique projects exhibited at the Media Architecture Biennale 2010 in Vienna, Austria. The collection is updated on a regular basis. The compendium features stunning photos and videos, that give a vivid impression of the architectural and artistic impact of the projects.

Projects by: UNStudio, realities:united, aether architecture, Asymptote Architecture, Arup, Treusch architecture, Peter Cook, Herzog & de Meuron, Gramazio&Kohler Architecture, Rogier van der Heide, Manfred Wuits, MIT Massachusetts, Renzo Piano, Simone Giostra and Partner, magic monkey, ETH Zurich – horao, LAb[au], Traxon e:cue, Zumtobel, Citiled, ag4 media facade gmbh / GKD, and many, many more.

Introductory texts by the exhibition curators Gernot Tscherteu and Martin Tomitsch.

Now available for free in the AppStore.

Galaxia Electronics’ s latest symbolic Media Façade Solution has been unveiled at Han River in Seoul. Three man-made islands lightening up Han River are integrated among one another utilizing 1500 LGP (Lighting Glass Panel) Galaxia Electronics adopted customized optical technology to block light intrusion affecting outward view from inside.

Floating Island from Galaxia Electronics on Vimeo

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