K. Anthony Marefat

Designer, developer, technologist, and educator. Based in NYC.

Edge of the Sea

Interactive Seascape, Shanghai

Project PageCommunication Arts 2021

When Patten Studio reached out to me and told me of their plan to build a large-scale retail installation featuring a responsive ocean simulation, I jumped at the chance.

At Shanghai’s Power Station of Art, guests travel through a responsive, interactive seascape, into the heart of the La Mer brand.

Projection mapping, kinetic sculpture, sound, and light came together to form a multi-sensory, interactive experience that introduced millennial Chinese consumers to La Mer’s brand narrative.

My focus was on the entryway, where visitors would approach a projected coastline and walk deeper and deeper into the surreal oceanic space. The water on the floor would splash and react to footsteps, jumping, or drawing long arcs, making for a playful invitation to interact more intentionally with the space. This was a dynamic simulation informed by sensors and physics systems and a super fun experience


Media courtesy of Patten Studio.