The Centre of Architecture and the Visual Arts (CAVA), led by Professor Richard Koeck, is a multi-disciplinary research centre where the team is combining novel techniques in areas such as digital film, augmented reality and animation and how it can be represented and used in experiences within architectural spaces.
Professor Koeck won Industrial Strategy HEIF pump priming funding in the 2017/18 round. Using this, CAVA led a collaboration with Culture Liverpool, Immersive Storylab, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, CineTecture and Draw and Code to develop a prototype immersive mixed reality experience ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ within the Grade I listed St George’s Hall, one of Liverpool’s iconic landmarks.
The digitally enhanced visitor experience followed the famous court case of Florence Maybrick, allowing the guests to experience the Victorian justice system and prison. The experience combined 3D project mapping, virtual and augmented reality, live performances and a 3D hologram to create a new kind of visitor experience. The concept was ground-breaking, giving an immersive experience without adversely affecting the building and space within. Using research from the CAVA team they ensured it was minimally invasive, affordable and appealed to a wide audience.
Following the success of the prototype experience, Professor Koeck and his team were awarded over £500,000 in a UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) UK-China Research-Industry Creative Partnerships in 2020 to develop, with the Oscar®-winning animation studio Aardman, an immersive experience in China, working with partners including Shanghai Theatre Academy with support from the University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre. Their aim is to create a prototype Shaun the Sheep visitor experience that recognises China’s cultural context and values, and combines both technical and creative applications. The experience will be interactive, non-linear and spatially immersive, appealing to families of all ages without the need for headsets or personal devices. Alongside the AHRC funding, the team is expecting additional funding from partners in the UK and China to make a total project value of £1.08 million.
Industrial Strategy HEIF funding helped me and our researchers at CAVA to initiate and form a match-funded partnership with Culture Liverpool and industry partners to develop and prototype a ground-breaking immersive mixed reality heritage experience for Liverpool’s St George’s Hall. Small pockets of agile funding like this, made a huge difference for us. We were able to act proactively and swiftly when we saw such an opportunity arising. Being able to demonstrate our expertise in this project allowed us to win two more AHRC grants and expand our international portfolio of activities considerably.
Professor Richard Koeck, Professor of Architecture and Director of the Centre of Architecture and the Visual Arts (CAVA)
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