This was an entry for a design competition organized by the Japan Society for Finishings Technology. The theme was "A New Glass Space." I, along with my Japanese, colleagues decided to work on a proposal for a retirement home, since there is a growing population of Japanese elderly.
We were inspired by online videos of people making use of their phone screens and cutout clear plastic or acrylic panels glued together forming an inverse pyramid, and creating a setup where it is possible to form holograms.
We decided to take this concept and blow it up to a large scale. The inverted glass pyramid would be placed on the central area of the retirement home, where the residents would be spending most of their time. On the floor, large screens will be placed to project the hologram images. This space will also allow access to outsiders during visitation hours. The pyramid will be 2 floors high. Balconies on the second floor surrounding the central space would also have viewing access. Since the holograms are more effective in low light, we proposed mechanically controlled roof panels over the pyramid space, so that it may be viewed even during the day.
The overall reason behind this proposal is to allow the elderly, especially those who have trouble in their mobility to have a form of entertainment without having to leave the retirement home. For example, during summer in Japan, people usually flock to riversides to watch fireworks displays. This proposal can recreate that experience for the elderly.
This entry was awarded honorable mention and was published in a journal on architectural materials.