Many mobile applications do their best to immerge you in a virtual world, away from your surroundings, but some aim to get you more involved in the real world. They offer a new perspective to the city with augmented reality (AR): using the camera, compass, and GPS of a smartphone or tablet, these apps add a digital layer to the world around you on the screen. Two architectural AR apps are currently being implemented on opposite sides of the world, from a different starting point, but with similar results.
UAR (Urban Augmented Reality) app by the NAi, Rotterdam, the Netherlands:
+app+2.jpg "UAR (Urban Augmented Reality) app")
+app.jpg "UAR (Urban Augmented Reality) app")
This reality app extends the Institute of Architecture museum from its building in Rotterdam to the rest of the city, as well as twelve other cities and towns in the Netherlands. It presents the city around you in a different way. It uses advanced 3D models to show you buildings that aren’t there, but used to be there, could have been there, or will be there. Some of these have been demolished years ago, some are artist-impressions of futuristic designs by contemporary architects, and others show alternative designs that were never built in models and design drawings. A layer of text adds extra information, such as the architect, the place of the building in architectural history, and comparisons with other buildings with the same function or by the same architect.
CityViewAR app by the HITLab NZ, Christchurch, New Zealand:
This reality app originated from the destruction caused by the 2010-2012 earthquakes, when especially the city centre was heavily damaged, and many historical buildings have been demolished since. More than just a tool to attract more tourists, it serves as a keepsake for locals. It shows the city centre of Christchurch as it was before the quakes, so people can remember what it used to be like, and still be able to get at least part of the old experience. Like the UAR, it uses life-sized virtual models, pictures, and written information, such as function, architect, and building history. Apart from the original buildings, CityViewAR shows reconstruction plans, and future developments include the addition of feedback options as input tool for proposed designs and for personal background stories, and the option to go further back in time with additional historical data.
Which cities will follow? And what will applications like these mean for both residents and visitors? It could increase historical awareness and make people feel more involved with the architecture of their city, and, if taken to the extreme, it could mean a customized fantasy city for every user. In a few months, we’ll know how UAR and CityViewAR are received, and it’ll be easier to provide some answers.
