On January 24th, the Act Now Live VR Experience launched its first monthly Global VR event inside one of our very own hand-crafted VR worlds! Working with UNESCO, the Act Now VR series supports the United Nations’ campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability.
This first world in the series features our digital twin of the World Expo 2020’s iconic Al Wasl Dome in Dubai and our own original designed Lotus Lobby, connected via a short promenade with two relaxing alcoves: the drum circle and the firepit.
Bringing special awareness to SDG4: Quality Education, thousands of people from around the globe gathered in our virtual world for Jan 24th’s International Day of Education, while celebrating the World Expo’s theme: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Our digital twin of the Al Wasl Dome in Dubai
The Lotus Lobby
Guests entering the event spawn in our cozy “Lotus Lobby”. This is a learning space that fuses a natural and sci-fi aesthetic, offering holographic dashboards and interactivity to engage guests with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals + ActNow campaign.
The Promenade
Take a step outside of the Lotus Lobby, and the Al Wasl Dome comes into view. It is connected by a stone and grass walkway, lined with ground lights and swaying palm trees.
The Promenade’s Alcoves: the Firepit and the Drum Circle
Walking down the promenade toward the dome, rhythmic drum beats begin to emanate from the left. Meanwhile, the warm roar of the firepit radiates from the right, each coming just into earshot, beckoning guests to gather.
We designed these two alcoves as a halfway point between the lobby and the dome, offering a comfortable space of refuge from the crowds in the Lobby and/or stimulus under the dome.
Our inspiration for the alcoves comes from the Middle Eastern “majlis”, defined by UNESCO here. As sitting places and gathering spaces, majlis are where meaningful conversations happen. We researched majlis in Dubai to guide our style while 3d modeling. This informed our inclusion of comfy cushions/pillows, low rectangular couches and the textures we used. Additionally, pots are used as an effective means for cooling water in Dubai, so we decorated the space with beautiful pots of water, weaving practical sustainability into the aesthetic.
The Al Wasl Projection Dome
Meanwhile, just a few paces away at the end of the promenade, the Al Wasl Dome beams with life. A visually stunning 360 video projection plays with the dome’s unique architecture. Meanwhile the content highlights some of the most challenging issues humanity faces today. As guests approach the Al Wasl Dome, the video’s accompanying music grows louder to fully immerse the audience.
Seeing so many people come together from all regions of the world, discussing big picture ideas while playfully engaging with the 3D space — finding both meaning and fun in the details, was a true pleasure. These experiences are what drive us to create.
The ActNowVR series will return each month to unveil a new world and reopen the worlds from previous months, so if you missed the premiere of this experience, be sure to visit it during the next ActNowVR event!
Our next build for the series: Uluru in Australia!
ActNow VR is Produced by DreamlandXR, MillenniumART, Fresh Wata, Boutique Electronique Music.
3D VR World Created by us! Cause + Christi: Immersive XR Design
360 Projected Video Content by Minds Over Matter Design LLC
Music by DJ Celeste, Carmen Rizzo, Mike Raznick
Event Support by Big Rock Creative