Barcelona architecture conference held in virtual reality

Conference-goers navigated nine rooms, all inspired by real-life architecture in Barcelona and the event was purposefully accessible, requiring only an internet connection

Spotted: Rather than picking up a name tag at registration, attendees of the Punto de Inflexión, the world’s first architecture event to be held entirely in virtual reality, chose their avatar upon arrival. Designed by the London-based Space Popular studio, conference-goers navigated nine rooms, all inspired by real-life architecture in Barcelona.

Possibly one of the best features of the virtual reality was its ability to allow attendees to network informally, much like an event IRL. The serendipitous meetings and casual chats before and after conferences are what many people miss most with the current ubiquity of online meetings. Like its real-world counterpart in previous years, the virtual reality conference included an exhibition of entries into the Arquia/próxima architecture competition for emerging talents, multiple cinema screens and an amphitheatre for keynote speeches and large sessions.

The event was built in Mozilla Hubs to help make it as accessible as possible. Visitors to the conference needed only an internet connection and required no headsets or downloads to attend. Space within the venue was limited to 100 people at a time to help make the experience as seamless as possible and not overload visitors’ internet networks. Organisers of the conference pointed out the environmental savings generated by reducing flight costs and emissions to zero, as well as the possibilities open for mixed reality events to become more popular in the near future.

With virtual drinks and a face mask with VR capabilities already spotted by Springwise, virtual reality is being used in a growing variety of ways, to help people connect safely with one another while the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Explore more: Work & Lifestyle Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations