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- Project: Mercedes- Benz blueEFFICIENCY Pavillon
- Date: August 2005
- Client: Mercedes-Benz AG
- Contractor: 3deluxe, System Modern, Atelier Markgraph
In 2005 MESO Digital Interiors was contracted by System Modern to provide a playback solution for an interactive surround projection environment designed by 3deluxe. Conceived as a room within a room, the exhibition pavilion allows visitors an intuitive, emotional lead-in to the topic before the extensive information is introduced step by step.
The first exhibition in the space was coined “Future Mobility”. In 2008 Atelier Markgraph was contracted to devise an exhibition about “True Blue Solutions” and MESO was providing many updates to the system. In 2009 the pavillon is showing a blueEFFICIENCY exhibition in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The futuristic appearance of the pavilion results above all from the dynamic programmed light installation on its façade. Horizontal rotating lines of light produce an attractive interplay between white glowing and darker areas and bring the static architecture to life. The vertically ribbed surface structure of the façade consists of rectangular champagne-colored anodized aluminum tubing. Four cold cathode tubes lined up vertically are attached to each of these sections resulting in a pattern of 336 units each of which can be controlled individually. The light installation was conceived by Andreas Karlen of 3deluxe and is programmed using VVVV.
The upper half of the inside of the façade serves as a projection surface for a computer-animated video sequence. The 360° image suggests the appearance of glowing liquid through which different colored blue streaks and geometric moirés move. The constant variations in color and shape create a flowing motion. From time to time typographic content is played over the atmospheric background film in form of essential questions related to the exhibition topic.
The touch-sensitive interfaces are mounted on a white leather bench that runs around three-quarters of the room. Three visitors can call up content at any one time, and there is enough space for seven others to watch. The remaining quarter of the room, located between the two entrances, is taken up solely with standing space. On the respective quarter of the glass column the four films providing an introduction to the main topics are played automatically. At the interfaces it is also possible to access further, more detailed information – the sub menu of each main menu item contains three special interest films in addition to the main film. As the atmosphere of the interior is mainly influenced by the cool lighting and streamlined aesthetics of the two 360° projections when selecting materials the focus was laid on surfaces looking warm and feeling warm to the touch.
From August 8 until November 1, 2005 the “Future Mobility” exhibition showed at its first location, the Mercedes-Benz Center Berlin.
From mid-January 2006 it was presented at the new Mercedes-Benz Center Paris, later on in Munich.
In May 2008 the “True Blue Solutions” exhibition opened in Stuttgart at the ThyssenKrupp IdeenPark. In October 2008 the installation was moved to the Mercedes-Benz Kundencenter Bremen. After a period at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart the Pavillon is now installed in London at the Mercedes-Benz World Brooklands