The Dutch Design Week 2018 has come to an end and we couldn’t be more proud! Our Future040 project has been such a tremendous success last week that we can definitely need some rest now. Over 3500 people have visited our greenhouse at Stadhuisplein and explored the virtual Future of Eindhoven. Did you miss it or did you visit but do you want to know more? Keep on reading about this wonderful project then!
Are we still alive? The answer is: yes
Three weeks. That’s all we had to finish this project. Just three weeks before the DDW started we got the last approval from Gemeente Eindhoven to start this project… Challenge accepted? Sure! Stress levels rising? Uh, sure! Will we still be alive after the DDW? Let me check…yes!
Honestly, it wasn’t the perfect amount of time to finish an app like this in just three weeks, but we’ve worked our butts off to eventually create… well, this awesome app that turned out to be a huge success. And we’re really, absolutely, 100% proud! Everyday hundreds of visitors came by our greenhouse and could experience the future of Eindhoven in the most innovative way: with augmented reality.
The future of Eindhoven in AR
So the city center of Eindhoven in augmented reality? Yes, like a virtual scale model shown big, really big. When visitors would enter our empty greenhouse at Stadhuisplein they were wondering what in the world they could experience in an empty space like this. Well, after receiving an iPad and putting on an industrial safety helmet, they would see Eindhoven appear right in front of them. A gigantic 3D model (as big as 10 by 12 meters) appeared and visitors could actually walk through this city. By selecting 5 different time layers, they could see all the future, sometimes just ambitious, plans for the city center and walk around like Godzilla in Eindhoven.
Nearby future projects included areas like District-E, Nieuw Bergen and Mariënhage. More futuristic, ambitious projects were focused on lifting the Catharinakerk high up in the air and placing a gigantic Mr. Philips statue. These ambitious ideas were formed by city supervisor Winy Maas (MVRDV) who has big plans for the city center of Eindhoven. To show such innovative ideas with such an innovative technology like augmented reality turned out to be a match made in heaven!
After experiencing the DDW Only experience in the greenhouse, visitors could take home a special card (Greetings from the future!) and see the 3D city pop up at home (in a smaller scale compared to the DDW). We handed out over 3000 cards!
Officially opened by special guests
Our greenhouse opened for DDW visitors at Saturday morning October 20th already, but was officially opened Monday October 22nd. With some very special guests: DDW director Martijn Paulen and City Counsel Member Monique List-de Roos. After opening the greenhouse and trying the experience for themselves, we had the chance to interview both of them and they were impressed by the end result.
To discuss the transformation of the city with inhabitants of Eindhoven in an innovative way like this; that’s a perfect fit for the Dutch Design Week. – Martijn Paulen
We could have shown this to inhabitants and visitors of Eindhoven with a traditional scale model, but this experience shows exactly why Eindhoven Brainport is a city known for technology, innovation, creativity and design. – Monique List-de Roos
What did it look like?
So yes, we’re confident to say this DDW project turned out to be a great accomplishment. To document this Future040 project and keep it in our minds forever, we’ve created a video showing what the project actually looked like. Enjoy!
A great thank you to everyone who helped realize this great project! We especially would like to thank Gemeente Eindhoven, MVRDV, Dutch Design Foundation and Bureau Vertigo for all their hard work.
Het bericht The future of Eindhoven at the DDW: a great success! verscheen eerst op Dutch Rose Media.