The client effectively leveraged VR data to allow the public to see into
the future.
The city of Prague, its transport company, and the Czech railway authority launched cooperation with the Virtuplex in 2022 to work together on the New Main Train Station project that includes the renovation of the terminal and changes to the Vrchlického sady park, as well as adding tram lines.
The traditional creation of the design in such a complicated space proved to be rather difficult, as was presenting the proposed design. This is where virtual reality was great tool. It allowed the architects new ways of understanding the entire area while also serving as an excellent presentation tool for members of the evaluation committee that chose the winning proposal.
The client also wanted to leverage the virtual reality data as much as possible, so the Virtuplex created an application where anyone with a smartphone could scan a QR code and view the future appearance of the train station where 360° images were supplemented with captions that answered the public’s most common questions. Users could thus examine the design without a VR headset (which could also be used). The railway authority decided to make this project accessible to the public and placed an information stand with two headsets in front of the main train station. Users could thus compare the current terminal and the surrounding park with its future appearance. They could also complete a survey to express their opinions about the design. Furthermore, anyone can check out the design from the comfort of their home at https://demo.virtuplex.com/hln/
“Cooperation with the Prague Institute of Planning and Development and the other participants in the project is an example of the effective use of virtual reality. Beginning with the fine-tuning of the design in VR to its presentation to selected groups in the Virtuplex and the presentation in the public – everything shows the potential of this technology. We want to continue down this road and make our services more accessible to clients while showing them how to get the most out their VR data,” Virtuplex’s Lenka Kriššáková said.
CLIENT FEEDBACK
“Virtual reality, especially when using headsets and walking in a space of various scales, gives everyone new ways of understanding the space. We worked in virtual reality with the current state of the space, with the proposals and their evaluation, as well as when presenting the winning design to the public. VR offers an irreplicable experience in terms of the organization of the space and its connections to the surrounding area. What is usually difficult to understand from blueprints is now clearly visual in real dimensions and context. This project showed how VR helps to understand a proposal in space, especially with various levels and altitudes. We see it as a fantastic tool for discussions with all stakeholders,” Prague Institute of Planning and Development architect Jakub Hendrych said.
Virtuplex s.r.o.
[email protected]
Do Čertous 3036/19
193 00 Praha 20
Virtuplex SK s.r.o.
[email protected]
Devínska Nová Ves 7464
841 07 Bratislava
