Iconic Cultural Landmark Now On Metaverse With Honor
BERLIN, Sept. 4, 2022 — Global technology brand HONOR announced Gateway to the Future, an initiative designed to enrich cultural heritage through the power of technology using the metaverse platform.
Launched during its IFA 2022 keynote, HONOR challenged two popular artists to creatively reimagine the Wasserschloss, an iconic landmark located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site using augmented reality (AR).
Set against the backdrop of surging interest in the metaverse and the growth of hybrid tourism, the project aims to inspire global creative talent to leverage innovations such as AI, AR and Spatial Audio to connect communities with culture in more immersive ways and support the global tourism rebound, as the world embraces the connected future.
“As a global technology company, HONOR is committed to developing smart device technology which enables people to celebrate and experience cultural treasures from the past while also discovering the possibilities of the future,” says George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co, Ltd.
“We predict the rise of AR and AI technologies being used to create even more phy-gital experiences for smartphone users around the world, contributing to the hybrid tourism boom. Beyond tourism, this technology has the potential to benefit a number of other industries and communities. It really is the Gateway to the Future.”
Celebrating Cultural Heritage in the Metaverse
Renowned for being Germany ‘s “Gateway to the World,” Hamburg evolved from a port city to a thriving metropolis by embracing a longstanding culture of community, collaboration and innovation.
Inspired by the city’s history of transformation, HONOR chose Hamburg as the pilot location for the project, with the aim of contributing to the digital cultural boom and inspiring people from all around the world to reimagine cultural treasures in the metaverse.
To bring the project to life, HONOR partnered with ARLOOPA, an AR and VR development company, and celebrated artists Yunuene and Timo Helgert, who creatively transformed the famous Wasserschloss building in AR. Yunuene’s contribution to Gateway to the Future, entitled “Sailing Through Time” pays tribute to the evolution of the city’s port, showing how innovation in marine logistics transformed over time with her signature visual aesthetic.
Timo Helgert’s experience “Blooming Future” takes a more futuristic approach, playing on Hamburg’s status as one of the greenest cities in the world and creatively imagining what the Wasserschloss would look like in a green future where beautiful plants and endangered species can thrive, taking this historic landmark into an otherworldly realm.
Honor and Hybrid Tourism
Through the experience, HONOR also contributes to hybrid tourism, an emerging trend following the global tourism rebound, whereby travelers are expecting digital advances made during the pandemic to benefit and augment physical travel experiences.
The AR experiences at the Wasserschloss bring the digital and physical worlds together, allowing travelers to experience culture a totally new way. HONOR has been consistently investing in technologies including AI Space Identification, Spatial Audio and AR to enable enhanced immersive experiences fit for the digital revolution.”The Warehouse District was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015 with the aim of protecting and preserving the history and culture of one of the world’s largest trading ports.
/PRNewswire/