Mainly mobile tech brand, HONOR, has announced ‘Gateway to the Future’, an initiative designed to enhance cultural heritage through the power of tech. Launched during the brand’s IFA 2022 keynote, HONOR challenged two popular visual artists to creatively reimagine the Wasserschloss, an iconic landmark located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site using augmented reality [AR]. Set within the surging interest in the metaverse and the growth of hybrid tourism, the project aims to connect communities in more immersive ways, ushering in a new type of popular culture.

Famous for being Germany‘s ‘Gateway to the World,’ Hamburg evolved from a port city to a booming metropolis by adopting its culture of community, collaboration and innovation. HONOR selected Hamburg as the pilot location for the project, with the aim of contributing to the digital cultural boom and inspiring people from all around the world to reimagine cultural treasures in the metaverse.

To bring the project to life, HONOR partnered with AR and VR development company ARLOOPA, and AR artists Yunuene and Timo Helgert, who creatively transformed the famous Wasserschloss building in AR.  Yunuene’s contribution to the HONOR Gateway to the Future AR experience pays tribute to the evolution of the city’s port, showing how innovation in marine logistics progressed through time with her signature visual aesthetic. Timo Helgert’s experience takes a more futuristic approach, playing on Hamburg’s status as one of the greenest cities of the world and creatively imagining what the Wasserschloss would look if it was transformed by nature, including flora, fauna and fantastical creatures, taking this historic landmark into an otherworldly realm.

George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co, Ltd, said: “As a global technology company, HONOR is committed to developing smartphone technology which enables people to celebrate and experience cultural treasures from the past while also discovering the possibilities of the future. We predict the rise of AR and AI technologies being used to create even more phy-gital experiences for smartphone users around the world, contributing to the hybrid tourism boom. Beyond tourism, this technology has the potential to benefit a number of other industries and communities. It really is the Gateway to the Future.”

AR Experiences are Now Live

Available from today until the end of November 2022, the Gateway to the Future AR experience can be accessed through the dedicated HONOR page on the free-to-download ARLOOPA app. Users have the option to experience the AR artworks on site in Hamburg, or anywhere in the world. The on-site experience is anchored to the Wasserschloss building and can be viewed from the Poggenmühlen-Brücke, the bridge opposite the iconic landmark. Users who are not in Hamburg can select ‘experience on any surface’ on the app and follow the on-screen instructions to virtually place the AR experience of their choosing on a flat surface nearby.

An Invitation to Reimagine Your Community with HONOR Talents

Launched as part of the HONOR Talents global design contest, the Gateway to the Future project also aims to inspire creative talent from all around the world to harness technology and reimagine their own communities in the era of the metaverse. For the first time, HONOR Talents is introducing a dedicated Interactive AR Artwork category, and is now accepting applications for digital art that transforms local neighbourhoods, including digital overlays for walls, parks, and other public spaces. Artists interested in the contest can find more information here