CHAT BACK: What's an immersive experience?

Visiting the Architects of Air inflatable Installation – Mirazozo at the Sydney Opera House forecourt over one recent weekend got me thinking about the power of contemplation over sensory overload to create a truly immersive experience.

The power of contemplation over sensory overload

The immediate connection upon entry to this magical space is to elements of Islamic and Gothic architecture, of which I have been humbled to visit over the years. Dome of the Rock; Jerusalem, The Blue Mosque; Istanbul, Notre Dame; Paris, Uppsala Cathedral. Perhaps even Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia.

Unsurprisingly the 'Architect of Air' takes its influence from Islamic art and architecture, Archimedean solids and gothic cathedrals.

Whilst the structure is an architectural and artistic marvel, changing colour subtlety dependent on outdoor conditions, suspended entirely by air pumped into the chambers, and with each section being painstakingly hand crafted from translucent PVC material, it was less the structure and more the nature of the way people interacted that got my attention.

Imagine for a moment a 'bouncy castle'. The initial instinct or driving force would be to run, to jump, to bounce, to bring out the inner child, or as a child to enjoy the playfulness which makes childhood.

One would assume an inflatable structure the magnitude of Mirazozo should induce similar behaviour, though instead it seems to immerse you into a contemplative state, perhaps due in part by the ushers educating and explaining the delicate nature of the space prior to entry, but perhaps due to this somewhat powerful mix of art and architecture.

It seems to immerse you into a contemplative state

You will note once inside even children; subdued, calm, seemingly in awe of the surroundings; sitting, lying and immersing themselves in their own imaginary or far away place.

This same feeling is garnered inside the mosques, the cathedrals, the churches from centuries past which stood in stone long before brands, before marketing, and long before the concept of a ‘branded experience’.

These structures exist obviously in part due to religious and political influence, but could this feeling one gets when wandering these and the inflatable halls of Mirazozo be due to the contemplative nature of the spaces?

An amalgamation of Art and Architecture to create a truly immersive experience

What if we could harness this power to create more emotive branded experiences? Taking more influence from our predecessors?

In theory one could argue these historic places and spaces were in fact some of the original 'branded spatial experiences'. Religion being the brand, art and architecture being the experience.

Only a thought, but a nice one at that - as we shift toward a future which craves more personalised, emotive and meaningful connections, could companies and communities be tapping into the mindset of the people to create more contemplative, immersive experiences, in a spatial or non-spatial context, and do away with this old fashioned and increasingly ineffective idea of 'marketing bombardment'?

Ben Watson is insights director at e2.