The Bartlett School of Architecture is one of the world’s most diverse, innovative and creative places to study architecture. Every summer, it hosts its largest annual event, The Bartlett Summer Show, which celebrates the work of over 700 students, and welcomes circa 15,000 visitors from all over the world.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis, The Bartlett Summer Show couldn’t be held in its usual format. Hello Monday (part of DEPT®) set out to create an engaging, state-of-the-art digital alternative. The result was an exciting virtual experience and platform that firmly positions The Bartlett as the cutting-edge institution that it is, while ensuring that students could showcase, celebrate and share their work in the best possible way during a challenging time.
The concept behind it all
In order to create an experience that felt authentic, Hello Monday (part of DEPT®) first considered how The Bartlett Summer Show is normally physically encountered and set up. The team abstracted these elements to their fundamental shape and function for use in a digital context.
A spatial experience
The resulting digital building blocks enabled the team to build a virtual showcase which is reminiscent of the physical experience, without being a literal translation of it. On landing, vertically stacked ‘floors’ represent the different programmes and units, each one acting as an entrance to its own exhibition ‘room’ which users can freely explore.
User activity and ambient sound
Through use of ambient sounds and visitor traces, the team added a layer to the experience that created a sense of a live atmosphere, ensuring that The Bartlett Summer Show still felt like a live show, even if taking place virtually.
An award-winning project
Hello Monday (part of DEPT®)’s work for The Bartlett School of Architecture did not only convince the client. The state-of-the-art virtual experience was also celebrated and recognised as Site of the Day by the Awwwards and as Site of the Day & Site of the Month by the FWA.
Questions?
Senior Producer at Hello Monday (part of DEPT®)
