The exhibit, now on view at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, incorporates a range of alternative architectural representations, from pencil sketches to scale models to films to augmented reality (AR). This approach enables visitors to form a personal, composite understanding of how the structures make people feel and how they function

The Royal Academy of Arts is an esteemed and influential art institution that serves as both an art school and an art exhibition space. Herzog & de Meuron is a renowned Swiss architecture firm known for its innovative and distinctive architectural designs. From 14 July through 15 October, the Royal Academy is presenting the firm’s work through a brilliant mix of physical and virtual methods.

The exhibit is laid out across three rooms. In the first, over 400 objects from the Herzog & de Meuron design process are displayed in wood and glass cabinets, a section taken from HdM’s working archive in Basel, Kabinett. These items include sketches, models, photographs, and material samples from some of the firm’s most notable work. On the walls are nine large prints by the Dusseldorf School photographers and HdM collaborators Andreas Gursky and Thomas Ruff.

Upon entry, visitors are given instructions on how to install and use the smartphone application developed explicitly for this event. Within the displays, twelve projects have corresponding AR triggers that enable the user to spatially explore the virtual model through a variety of ways, demonstrating the versatility of augmented reality. Below are three examples.

HORTUS
“Hortus” is Latin for garden, and the acronym stands for House Of Research Technology Utopia Sustainability. Herzog & de Meuron's project is a sustainably-designed office building within the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, Allschwil. This “classic” use of augmented reality presents a scale model of the design anchored in the visitor’s physical space. Through the smartphone application, the visitor may explore the virtual model from all angles and from within.

Extension of the Stadtcasino Basel
The Stadtcasino Basel, also known as the Casino Basel, is a historic concert hall and cultural venue located in Basel, Switzerland. Originally built in the 19th century, it is a beautiful example of Neo-Baroque architecture. Herzog & de Meuron’s extension of the Stadtcasino Basel aimed to modernize the institution while preserving its cultural significance. The project included expansion and remodeling of public spaces, such as a sitting room with a portal providing a view of the concert hall. While a small model of this room places the portal in context, the AR experience seems to create a crack in reality through which the visitor may peer as if standing in the actual Swiss concert hall.

Autobahnkirche
The Autobahnkirche, located in Andeer, Switzerland, is the nation’s first motorway chapel. Roadside churches, common throughout Germany, are designed to provide travelers with a place to rest and reflect. Herzog & de Meuron’s Autobahnkirche consists of an above-ground chapel and three below, accessible through a snail-shaped stairway. This AR trigger initiates a virtual tour of the space, rather than an augmented reality experience. The visitor may explore the chapel from within while considering the models on display in the cabinet.

The exhibit’s second room features a 37-minute film created by the Italian-French partnership of Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine. The documentary, Rehab (from rehab), focuses on life in a rehabilitation center designed by Herzog & de Meuron 20 years ago: REHAB Basel. The human subjects in the cinema display are life-sized while the buildings provide the setting. The experience prepares the visitors for the following room, which is dedicated to a hospital currently under construction. Trailer:

The third and final room, dedicated to Kinderspital Zürich, a children’s hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, is also the largest. This portion of the exhibit includes a video game, a life-sized AR experience, and an enormous, interactive architectural floor plan. While the first room presents visitors with a range of projects through small artifacts, the third invites us to consider one project from as many angles as possible.

A wall-mounted first-person game employs a reward system to encourage guests to explore the hospital layout. The experience enables the player and observers to understand the hospital from the point of view of a patient, literally. Virtual navigation can aid in the development of cognitive maps, mental representations of spatial layouts, which help individuals understand and navigate physical spaces more efficiently.

Most of the center of the space is vacant, with a few pieces of furniture placed to match up with the virtual representation as seen through the augmented reality application. Visitors get a sense of being inside the virtual model of the hospital, complete with proper dimensions and realistic rendering. Additionally, the application offers the option of viewing the construction site through augmented reality along with a toggle to view a rendering of the completed space.

Multiple perspectives give people many methods through which to comprehend architecture beyond aesthetics. Visitors leave with a rich understanding of environmental considerations, human experience, wayfinding, and spatial organization of Herzog & de Meuron’s complicated project.

The Herzog & de Meuron exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London offers a captivating blend of physical and virtual experiences for visitors. The immersive approach provides a deep understanding of the architecture. It's a must-visit for those interested in the intersection of technology and education. The exhibit runs until October 15th.