Bloomberg ICE

November 24, 2010
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Interactive media terminal

Financial data and news, by its nature, can be a very dry affair. When given the opportunity to design a showcase space for Bloomberg, Klein Dytham Architecture sought to transform financial information into a tangible—even playful—experience. With the collaboration of multi-media artist and interface designer Toshio Iwai, KDa designed a very public and accessible space opposite Tokyo Station in the new heart of the Marunouchi district.

A pure white element in the space allows clouds of information to condense—something like an icicle suspended from the ceiling where data magically forms. Ice of course is pure and very cool, but ICE can be also interpreted as Interactive Communication Experience. In its resting mode, stock tickers are expressed in a fun and easily understandable way: if the stock is up the stock sign swells—if it drops the stock shrinks and drops below the line.

When you approach ICE, the infrared sensors behind the 5.0 m x 3.5 m glass wall detect your presence and you begin to interact with the data. You don’t actually have to touch the glass—the sensors detect you from about 12 inches (30 centimeters) away. A menu scrolls down the screen giving you four play options: a digital harp, a digital shadow, a digital wave and digital volley ball.

Contact: Klein Dytham Architecture, Tokyo, Japan.

For more information, see Transmaterial 3: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine our Physical Environment

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