Architecture studio Space Popular has designed the venue for Punto de Inflexión, the first-ever architecture conference held in virtual reality.
Held on 21 and 22 October and featuring speakers including Peter Cook and Carme Pinós, the Punto de Inflexión conference was held in nine virtual rooms set out in a grid inspired by Barcelona's street plan.
Top: the conference layout was inspired by Barcelona's urban grid. Above: the amphitheatre hosted talks
"It's the most ambitious virtual space we've ever built," said Fredrik Hellberg of London-based Space Popular. "As far as we know it's the first of its kind in architecture."
Attendees selected avatars in the lobby area before navigating along circulation routes to rooms containing architecture exhibitions, watching movies in a cinema space and attending talks held in a large amphitheatre. They could also network with other attendees by chatting with them in chance encounters or arranging meetings.
Attendees chose their own avatars on arrival
The coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge of interest in virtual replacements for physical activities. Virtual fashion is booming as people look for ways to make their online avatars more stylish while architect Arthur Mamou-Mani turned to VR to realise a structure intended for the cancelled Burning Man festival.
Space Popular, which has previously worked on virtual-reality galleries and installations, was invited to design the conference by curator Gonzalo Herrer...