ONE GIANT LEAP FOR RETAIL Who needs window shopping when you can take a trip through the cosmos?
Words Verity Butler
showcase that would enhance the traditional retail environment, drawing visitors together and encouraging social interaction.” Inevitably, as with any project at the time, Covid caused delays and changes to the original plan. This also led to a new location, which was the newly opened DT51 Xi’an. “We eventually landed on the idea of creating a galaxy-like structure that would tell the story of the solar system and Earth’s creation before diving into the cultural history of the Shaanxi Province,” Giegerich explains.
create a richly immersive environment that evolves as the narrative unfolds. The visuals take visitors through the birth of the solar system and the emergence of life to the cultural history of the region, culminating in modern-day Xi’an. “A key draw of the show is the interactive moments between the audience and the visuals,” expands Giegerich. “Here, visitors can directly interact with the content, becoming part of the show as their image is woven into the visuals.”
hopping malls seem to be becoming a lot less about the act of shopping itself. This was made abundantly
evident by a recent project at DT51 Xi’an shopping mall, a premium retail and lifestyle destination in China’s Yanta District. Visitors to the mall found themselves journeying through the cosmos without leaving the building – thanks to a recent interactive installation by bright! studios. Comprising LED surfaces, kinetic structures, lighting, audio and digital content, the spectacular spiralled centrepiece turns the mall’s multi-storey atrium into an immersive storytelling environment using Stage Precision’s SP Grid. The project commenced when Xi’an DuWu WuYan Cultural Industry Co, which specialises in cultural events and exhibition services, approached bright!. They previously worked together in 2016, when bright! produced a fixed projection installation for the company. “They initially reached out in 2019, wanting to collaborate on a new immersive project,” begins Thomas Giegerich, managing director at bright! studios. “At the time there was no set idea or theme for the installation. They wanted us to come up with the concept together.” Following an extraordinary visit to China, the team began developing ideas for a space that could breathe new life into the retail environment. “Our goal was to present a visual
STELLAR SYNCHRONISATION Synchronising the moving structures,
INTO ORBIT Central to the installation is a striking
lighting, audio and media playback required a centralised control system: Stage Precision’s SP Grid brought these key elements together. “As the show is controlled by mall staff,” describes project lead at bright!, Leon Herche, “It was essential that the system could be operated with minimal tracking or expertise.” A user-friendly interface allows staff to manage playback, audio and kinetic systems, trigger sequences and run maintenance tests without needing technical knowledge. Beyond its role as an immersive attraction, the installation doubles as an advertising platform. Giegerich adds: “LED surfaces, kinetic movement, interactive cameras, lighting, audio and digital content form an evolving structure that shapes the identity of the mall.”
arrangement of four large metal rings, which are suspended within the atrium and orbit one another like planetary structures. “Due to the 360º nature of the show, both the inside and outside surfaces of the rings needed to display the content,” explains Giegerich. “Each ring can move vertically and tilt at different angles, while its two-part construction adds additional flexibility. This kinetic movement and synchronisation play an essential role in the show’s dynamic storytelling.” Additional LED screens and strip lighting line the atrium’s multi-storey perimeter, while ceiling-mounted LED fixtures add depth between the central structures and surrounding displays. Together, these layers
GOING MALL IN The 360º immersive experience at DT51 Xi’an in China was installed by bright! studios
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