flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Sochi's 'kinetic façade' may steal the show at the Winter Olympics

Sochi's 'kinetic façade' may steal the show at the Winter Olympics

The temporary pavilion for Russian telecom operator MegaFon will be wrapped with a massive digital "pin screen" that will morph into the shape of any face.


By BD+C Staff | July 1, 2014

When the Sochi Winter Olympics kick off next month (Feb. 7-23) in Russia, the temporary pavilion for Russian telecom operator MegaFon is going to turn a lot of heads—literally. 

The company commissioned London-based designer Asif Khan to create a one-of-a-kind installation for the Games. Khan answered with MegaFaces, a 39-foot-high, illuminated façade that acts much like a giant pin screen, replicating the faces of people in the crowd in the form of a 26-foot-high, 3D mural. 

The kinetic façade will display three faces simultaneously, and each participant will receive a 20-second video clip of their experience via email.  

Here's how it works, according to a report by Dezeen: People step into a 3D photo booth to have their face scanned from five different angles.

Using the data, a computer creates a 3D model of the facial structure (in about a minute) and sends the coordinates to an engine-and-cable system that controls a series of actuators that make up the kinetic portion of the façade. Each one of the 10,000 actuators can extend out to lengths of six feet, allowing for the creation of dramatic, 3D murals. 

Don't believe us? See for yourself:

 

Read Dezeen's full report on MegaFaces.

Related Stories

| Aug 22, 2014

Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline

Mark Domino, the son-in-law of developer Douglas Durst, has developed an app, called Spireworks, that allows anyone with a smartphone to change the color of a building's lights.

| Aug 21, 2014

Ranked: Top science and technology sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

HDR, Affiliated Engineers, and Skanska top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest S+T sector design and construction firms.

| Aug 21, 2014

Ranked: Top convention center AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Gensler, AECOM, and Hunt Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest convention center design and construction firms.

| Aug 21, 2014

Apartment construction hits 25-year high

The boost to apartment construction suggests that job gains are encouraging the creation of households.

| Aug 21, 2014

Strategies for providing great customer service

Customers are inherently inefficient and inconvenient to do business with, writes Customer Service Consultant Micah Solomon, in a recent Forbes post. That’s why he believes great customer service depends on understanding this. SPONSORED CONTENT

Sponsored | | Aug 21, 2014

Defining the measure of success when implementing new technologies

Sasha Reed and Chad Dorgan, McCarthy Building Cos.’s Vice President of Quality and Sustainability, discuss the keys to managing innovation within a large construction firm. SPONSORED CONTENT

| Aug 21, 2014

RTKL's parent company Arcadis acquires Callison

The acquisition of Callison, known predominantly for its leadership in retail and mixed-use design, builds on Arcadis’ strong global design and architecture position, currently provided by RTKL. 

| Aug 21, 2014

Must See: Detroit's Beaux-Arts parking garage

An opulent Renaissance Revival building in downtown Detroit is being used as a parking garage.

| Aug 20, 2014

WELL Building: The next step in green sports construction

The WELL Building Standard, a new protocol that focuses on human wellness within the built environment, is a particularly good fit for sports facilities, write Skanska's Tom Tingle and Beth Heider.

| Aug 20, 2014

Seattle's King Street Station thoughtfully restored [2014 Reconstruction Awards]

After years of neglect and botched renovations, King Street Station sparkles once again.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Construction Costs

Data center construction costs for 2024

Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.



Healthcare Facilities

Watch on-demand: Key Trends in the Healthcare Facilities Market for 2024-2025

Join the Building Design+Construction editorial team for this on-demand webinar on key trends, innovations, and opportunities in the $65 billion U.S. healthcare buildings market. A panel of healthcare design and construction experts present their latest projects, trends, innovations, opportunities, and data/research on key healthcare facilities sub-sectors. A 2024-2025 U.S. healthcare facilities market outlook is also presented.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021