Royal Danish Academy, Spatial Design Master’s Thesis
As a pilot project exploring how transportation systems can connect to cultural institutions, this two-fold project investigates the connection between the Trianglen Metro Station and Enigma Museum through spatial anchors and digital triggers that invite Metro passengers and museum visitors to explore an installation that hosts Engima’s Mobile Cafe and an augmented-reality exhibition experience.
This project explores the question of how cultural institutions can harness their agency with local transit stations in fostering community conversations in these often overlooked non-places where the spatial meets the digital.
You can also download the Design Report to get a closer glimpse into the full theoretical background and developmental process.
The Site
This site is located in the northern area of Copenhagen in the neighborhood of Osterbro. It sits at the east-most corner of Faelledparken where Trianglen Metro Station meets Enigma Museum.
Encounter, Explore & Engage
With these design principles of as a guide, three spatial interventions are placed each sub-site between Trianglen and Enigma. As an encounter, Culture Tiles will be placed in the Metro concourse. Centered in the plaza, the Engima Mobile Cafe welcomes visitors to explore digital exhibitions. And at the entrance of Enigma, a seating module will encourage visitors to engage with content outside the walls of the museum.
Proposal
With the Culture Connection feature on the DOT ticketing app, Metro passengers can connect to cultural experiences between transit stations and cultural institutions around Copenhagen. As a summer activation in Trianglen Metro station plaza, the Engima Mobile Cafe invites the public to explore an augmented-reality exhibition installation whilst enjoying a coffee or snack.
Encounter on the Concourse
— Connecting With Culture
Within Copenhagen Metro stations, tourists and passengers can opt into the Culture Connect feature on the DOT mobile app to receive information about a partner cultural institution. On the concourse level of Trianglen Metro Station, subscribers in proximity to Culture Tiles receive push-notifications that lets them know about the Enigma Mobile Cafe in Trianglen Plaza above.
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The Culture tile integrates with the same 30x60cm dimensions and materiality of the existing tactile paving.The added tiles in red guide individuals towards exits as well as anchors the encounter with the culture tile. The distinct radial pattern represents connectivity, and hopes to be associated with a space for digital experiences.
The Culture Tiles are both visual and tactile anchors for everyone to encounter. For maintenance purposes, the bluetooth is integrated into the wall panels and set to a 2.5 m signal distance to reach those passing over the culture tiles. It is the intention that adding this experience activates this non-place where users can now associate with finding cultural connections.
Through marketing, users learn that they can opt into the Culture Connect feature via the DOT mobile ticketing app. Once downloaded and push-notifications enabled, they will receive a notification that will link them to the Trianglen profile which has information about the Enigma Mobile Cafe.
Enigma Mobile Cafe
— Exploring a Social Space around a Digital Experience
In Trianglen Plaza, visitors can explore a summer installation centered around a digital experience from Enigma’s AI exhibition. By positioning a social space with seating and tables around a digital experience, it is intended that curious visitors can naturally share their experiences over a casual coffee or snack.
By positioning the modules around a digital experience, this social situation puts people on display looking at nothing in order to bring other curious individuals into the experience. In my own personal field tests, multiple people have come up to me asking me what I’m looking at.
The seating accomodates for a variety of users. The middle tables can be used by standing children or people with wheelchairs. It also opens up to face-to-face conversations. Bench allow for getting sun while the in-set high tables are inset to take cover from rain or sun.
The Digital Experience
In the central space, visitors are introduced to Enigma’s digital exhibition featuring AR installations around the plaza. Signage instructs users how to download and explore the experience.
The placement of culture tiles that trigger different digital experiences. In green are visual digital elements like AR. And the blue are invisible such as the bluetooth signals and the audio tour.
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And not all digital experiences are visual. The audio walking tour isn’t just dictated descriptions of what is happening visually, but voice messages that discuss different topics. It also links to extended podcast talks that Enigma hosts in relation to these themes. Not only for the visually impaired, but everyone can get a different type of digital experience.
Engaging the Threshold
— Beyond the Museum
And at the entrance of Enigma, this temporary outdoor seating module encourages Engima Museum visitors to engage with a digital extension of the exhibition outside the walls of the museum. The red seating module helps bring more awareness to the subtle entrance of the museum.
Even with those without the DOT app, people can learn about Enigma Mobile Cafe with a QR to the Trianglen profile landing page. For those already with Culture Connect, a push notification will more easily link them to info about the Enigma Mobile Cafe.