From the Series
With the Winter Olympics just a few months away, Asif Khan designed an interactive installation that allows all visitors to feature in the 2014 games.
London-based architect Khan designed a 200 sqm pavilion and interactive landscape for MegaFon, one of Russia’s largest telecoms companies and general partner of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The MegaFon pavilion, titled MegaFaces Pavilion, and selected MegaFon stores around the country will use a three-dimensional photo booth to scan visitor’s portraits, which are then recreated by the pavilion in a somewhat sculptural form. A total of five images of each visitor will be captured simultaneously from slightly different angles to assemble the three-dimensional portrait that will be displayed for 20 seconds. Visitors will receive a personal video of their 20 seconds of fame in case they weren't able to view their portrait come alive in real time.
The pavilion’s façade is made up of over 10 000 actuators and is designed to function like a huge pin screen. Once a visitor’s portrait has been taken, the multiple actuators transform the building’s “skin” into a three-dimensional portrait of each visitor.
The concept is to give everyone the opportunity to be the face of the Olympics, says Khan.
The MegaFaces Pavilion is situated at the entrance to the Olympic Park and incorporates an exhibition hall, hospitality areas; a rooftop viewing deck and two broadcasting suits. The interactive pavilion is due to open to the public on 7 February 2014.
