AVIXA today announced the winners of the 2020 AV Experience Awards, a new program that “recognizes the innovative integration of content, space and audiovisual technology to enrich experiences.”
InfoComm 2020 Connected will host a virtual panel discussion on Tuesday, June 16, at 10 a.m. EDT featuring this year’s winners of the AV Experience Awards to talk about “innovative, experience-focused AV design.”
“Audiovisual technology can play a big role in enhancing people’s experiences, regardless of setting,” said AVIXA chief marketing officer Dan Goldstein in the association announcement of the 2020 AV Experience Award winners. [related]
“AV can make collaborating more efficient, navigating a building easier, and the act of learning more engaging, among so many other things. The AV Experience Awards celebrate spaces where AV is employed to create that desired user experience,” he said.
Here’s a rundown of the 2020 AV Experience Awards winners with insight on why they were selected:
Best Collaborative Experience
Klarman Hall at Harvard Business School
Boston, Mass.
Idibri
In October 2018, Harvard Business School opened Klarman Hall, a forum designed to connect voices from all over the world to discuss critical issues. Harvard’s case method approach required a different design from traditional lecture-style classrooms.
It wasn’t enough to support one-direction communication. The room had to support the interaction on a large scale – a 1,000-seat room. The AV design by Idibri and installation by AVI-SPL allows students to see and speak to each other from their seats.
The sound systems allow for presentation, while a separate voice lift audio system supports the students’ interaction in the hall. The oversized multimedia display (61.8 feet wide) is curved to optimize viewing angles.
It supports concurrent media presentations, empowering a variety of ideas to be expressed at once.
Best Dynamic Art Experience (Tie)
Sviatovid
Tours globally
BARTKRESA studio
If you attended Integrated Systems Europe or InfoComm in 2019, you were treated to the sight of BARTKRESA studio’s 360-degree projection-mapped sculpture, Sviatovid.
Inspired by both a ninth century Slavic deity and a medieval sculpture of the same name, Sviatovid is a 15-foot-tall faceted totem.
The histories of the deity and medieval statue are the subjects of debate among historians, but BARTKRESA studio took inspiration from the all-seeing nature of the figure. With four faces, Sviatovid was not omniscient, but could literally take in the world in an all-encompassing way.
BARTKRESA studio projects a library of animations onto the sculpture as a reflection of Sviatovid’s distinct perspective and journey.
Best Dynamic Art Experience (Tie) and Best In-Person Experience
DATAGATE: NASA AI Astronomical Sculpture
Nanjing, China
Ouchhh Studio
In Nanjing, China, new media studio Ouchhh collaborated with NASA astrophysicist Dawn Gelino to create a permanent 15-ton, 360 LED installation to allow the public to observe the exoplanets (planets that orbit around other stars).
The DATA GATE: NASA AI Astronomical Sculpture utilizes machine learning in the context of space discovery and astronomical research through NASA’s Kepler Data.
The resulting work invites visitors to plunge into the fascinating world of space discovery through the immersive data sculpture.
Best Individualized Experience
Yogi Berra Museum
Montclair, N.J.
TRITECH Communications
The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, located on the campus of Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ, is an engaging setting that reflects the good nature, humor, and humility of famed New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra.
TRITECH Communications collaborated with exhibit designer Responsive Spaces to create the museum’s extremely popular “PITCH!” immersive experience. It allows visitors to face off with an animated batter and catcher and track the ball’s velocity and accuracy.
Then the umpire responds with a “strike” or “ball” call, along with a fitting “Yogi-ism,” such as “it ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
The team was faced with a multitude of challenges. What type of ball would provide the most accurate experience? What type of glass would best protect the video displays? The final product is a fun, safe, and portable exhibit.
Best Flexible Space Experience
Qatar University’s Sports and Events Complex
Doha, Qatar
Techno Q
In November 2019, Qatar University opened its 25,500-square-meter Sports and Events Complex, a flexible space that hosts a wide-range of events, from large sports events to small conferences.
This flexibility is achieved through retractable seating, ceiling, and lighting, scalable rigging, and portable staging. Systems Integrator Techno Q employed a mix of technologies to create this multifunctional space – which features the largest movable ceiling in the country, covering 70 by 40 meters.
The ceiling panels can be illuminated to multiple colors to create the ideal atmosphere. The complex can scale up for a 5,000-person crowd for a sporting event or scale down for a 900-person banquet.
Best Immersive Experience
Alchemist
Copenhagen, Denmark
Audio-Visuelt Centrum A/S
When you arrive in the main dining hall at the restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark, you are immersed into a different world. The dome ceiling can transport you into the sea or under the Northern Lights.
This magical experience was created by Audio-Visuelt Centrum A/S utilizing 10 projectors and audio distribution. Patrons’ senses are amplified beyond taste and smell during this dining experience.
