Future Naarm:
Mists and Shadows
PRODUCED BY
Patrick Macasaet | Vei Tan
Shuming Zhou | Youjia Huang
Zechen Huang
TOOLS
Unreal Engine 5 | Rhino
EXHIBITED
YEAR
Federation Square Public Showcase, Melbourne
2023
EXTERNAL WEBSITE
‘Wander into multi-reality hopeful futures.’
A NEW KIND OF WONDER
Sometime in the future. Chunks of the city of Naarm had been transformed by the rising sea levels. Like many cities globally, this town continues to endure the effects of climate change. Its bustling and busy streets had now become a precinct of canals, lagoons and waterways. Much of the flood is at the heart of the metropolis - the Birrarung Marr - 'the river of mists and shadows. Named in the Wowurrung language by the traditional custodians of the land - the Wurrundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, it has a history of floods. Sometime in the late 2030s, the Birrarung kept roaring. It was, after all, a city built on a flood plain.
NARRATIVE DESIGN
Inspired by the environmental, cultural and mythological significance of Birrarung Marr, as well as engaging with First Nations in how we might envision a future flooded city of Naarm.
2000s
2020s
2040s
2060s
2080s
2100s
'Future Naarm' is raising people's awareness of the nature damage and aboriginal culture, bringing the public the possibilities of mutualistic symbiosis in floods 100 years later today.
Conceptual
Visualisation
Game Map
Curation
Transportation
Design
Architectural
Design
Landscape
Infrastructure
Wild
Inhabitants
ENVIRONMENT DESIGN
It reimagines relationships and ideas of
our cultural and built environments
at the intersection of emerging
technologies, city,
culture, climate, and country.
'Encounters and Micro Narratives.’
Throughout the experience, the physical space is activated by dispersed weekly ‘encounters’ in collaboration with local creatives and businesses who will creatively respond to what it might be like to reside in Future Naarm. They conjure their own micro-narratives embedded within the larger story, projecting thought-provoking questions and scenarios. For example, what kind of gastronomical delights might exist in this possible reality where aquatic resources are abundant, with more focus on sustainable principles and engagement with diverse cultural histories? The encounter provides a platform for immersive food experiences that enrich the story and visitors' experience. These encounters will expand to ideas about architecture, dance, music, performances, and more that engage with the life, culture, and built environment of Melbourne now and then project possible narratives of Future Naarm.
Sunny
Storm
Starry Night
Sunrise
Sunset
Realistic
Intricate, layered narratives unfold in recognizable settings, driven by human emotion.
Dreamy
Surreal landscapes blend with fluid, elusive narratives, sparking infinite curiosity.
Apocalypse
Ravaged landscapes house remnants of society, survival and hope intertwine.
Rehabilitate
Ruins reborn through resilience, communities rebuild, renewing hope amid devastation.
The Making of 'Future Naarm'
After flood, new fractional infrastructure was installed to rebound the nature, the people and the technology, forming a mutualistic environment to bring further respect and balance.
Mutual Balance
LEVEL DESIGN
ARCHITECTURE
LANDSCAPE
NATURE
Spatial Streamline
Circulation
Wild Inhabitants
Game Map and Main Routes
BUILDING
SHOWCASE 1:20 MODEL
Through real-time gaming technologies, immersive architecture, interactive objects, provocative narratives, unpredictable encounters and wandering games, it ignites hopeful future-
centric narratives in uncertain futures.
'Open World Wandering Game and Collections.'
Through an extended virtual experience, visitors are invited to continue, explore and immerse themselves in the world of Future Naarm beyond their visit to the physical space.
The open-world game offers an ex-pansive, interactive environment abundant in narratives, what-ifs, and hopeful futures. The game is an adapted version of the simulation experienced in the physical space at a 1:1 scale, serving as a gateway to further expand the immersive experience.Your virtual world becomes a reflection of your personal journey, documenting your unique path and interactions with the im-mersive environments. With each new encounter, you are given the opportunity to add to your collection, expand your world, and create a more personalized and meaningful experience.
Discover ‘Future Naarm: Mists and Shadows’
set in a speculative flooded future, this immersive multi-reality experience celebrates the cultural, environmental and mythological significance of the Birrarung Marr. The future world inside the space is in constant dialogue with the present, inviting visitors to engage with a future world of possibilities.
INTERACTIVE
DESIGN
'Physical immersive space'
The experience takes place in Federation Square's underground Slot 9 space. As you emerge, you will find yourself in a wondrous immersive space filled with sculptural forms, objects, and gaming simulations for you to interact with. The space is brought to life, in part, by a grid of 20-meter-long LED screens displaying a real-time simulation of a flooded future Naarm, powered by gaming and Al technologies. It's not a video on loop or an image in repeat; it's a dynamic and constantly evolving world that will unfold before you. Each visit is a unique experience.
