Zaha Hadid Architects’ virtual reality division (ZHVR) debuts its first foray into audio. Loop – an immersive listening lounge concept – pairs the firm’s signature design vernacular with audio technology from sound design group L-Acoustics Creations. Originally created for professional venues, the technology has been reconfigured to form this idea for an immersive, personal auditorium.
ZHVR drew from geometric forms and contemporary engineering to produce the lounge’s free-flowing, circular design. Its smooth surfaces resemble stone formations, from the semi-circular ring orbiting the central resting space to the spherical system at its reverse.
Beneath these textures, audio alchemy occurs. The lounge is driven by L-Acoustics Creations’ multichannel platform dubbed ‘the Island’, which delivers ultra-high resolution audio across 24 independent channels. The idea? To hear sound as visualised by artists in the studio, or fully immerse yourself in the world of a film in a more immersive, and personalised way than previously possible.
A case in point for showcasing the creative possibilities presented by virtual reality, ZHVR designed the entire concept via digital technologies, including advanced modeling platforms and mixed reality software. Throughout the project’s design lifespan, each element was examined in isolation, in high-definition virtual reality. This enabled the two firms to get closer to Loop’s design, aiding deeper ergonomic and material scrutiny in the pursuit of audio-visual ingenuity. §
