Anticipating the next decade's digital experience.

In 2021,  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invited a select group of firms to participate in a design competition. 13th Eye Founder Jay Ho was part of the team from Gensler who created a vision for a cutting-edge experience that would awe the next decade's audiences.

In the 400m cubic megastructure, the team created a futuristic vision of a master plan for world-class retail, hospitality, and entertainment hub.  

Jay was responsible for the technological vision, anticipating a convergence of machine learning/AI, headless CMS, and interconnected devices. The team designed an experience that takes personalization out of the phone screen and onto a myriad of media architecture platforms. Location-awareness and augmented reality is woven through real space, encouraging users to look up and around, not down at the narrow window of their phone.

The abundance of information available to the visitor is given life via the avatar of the Falcon, who can appear on any piece of media architecture in the Mukaab, leading visitors as a personal guide. Once a day, visitors can gather and "fly" their falcons into the air as a group, manifesting as a swarm of drones that ascend into the heights of the Mukaab's interior.

These types of projects are important because they are drivers for years of innovation and development. Effectively designing for the future isn't about letting the imagination run wild -- it's about having a deep understanding of what's possible now, and how the unconnected dots of today can draw the picture of tomorrow.