Updating a Classic

Our augmented reality solution helped new art find its home in this stunning mall.

This high-profile mall in downtown Indianapolis is responding to the evolving needs of its shoppers. By redeveloping the food-court space, Simon Property Group hopes to attract new restaurants and provide a relaxing public gathering spot.

The renovation will encompass all areas of Circle Centre's interior, exterior, parking garages and more. Shoppers will soon enjoy fresh new finishes and a modern environment that includes glass elevators and new amenities.

The existing food court will also debut an enormous custom glass sculpture by artist Arlon Bayliss. The 400-foot-long, helios-shaped glass and metal sculpture will be suspended from the ceiling– giving the impression of floating pieces of glass reflecting light.

It can be challenging for artists to envision exactly how their works will respond to a new environment – especially something so dynamic in form and composition. Pepper stepped in to bridge this gap for our client in a unique way.

We began by making a 3D laser scan of the space, then laid that over the metal fabricator's 3D model so Arlon could analyze how the art integrates with the space. This allowed the entire team to better understand what coordination would be required to enable the installation. That process resulted in several design iterations. As the project moved into the final stages, we imported the model into Microsoft HoloLens, an augmented reality headset, so Arlon could "see" the art in its future home.