Microsoft’s AI for Cultural Heritage pays homage to Ancient Olympia, in all its forms; as a physical scale model especially fabricated in lifelike detail for the Hololens2 experience; as an actual location visited and celebrated by millions of people over the course of time; and as an outstanding story of transcendent strength and civil common ground values.
Our studio was tasked with producing an exhibition environment to showcase the tremendous cultural value of the most celebrated religious and athletic sanctuary of Ancient Greece through Microsoft’s initiative and encourage visitors to reflect the values and mutual beliefs of the Ancient Games’ collective spirit that remains timeless.
With this aim, we initially developed the Olympia model with the PLA and resin 3d printed monuments, where history and technology are woven together.
While post processing the monuments, one of the biggest challenges we had to face, was to respect and maintain their architectural intricacy and everlasting aesthetics.
PVC was the material of our choice for producing the Altis table, as it is a durable material, resistant to weathering and its rigid form allowed us to accurately construct the enormous contour terrain in four pieces.
Its warm minimalism is the perfect back setting for the symbolistic trees and the off-white monuments. As they become more prominent, they effectively serve their purpose as physical components of the AR experience.
An invisible aluminum grid base supports the floating terrain, while the unexpected positions
of the simplistic yet contemporary columns complement the structure.
