Experience consultant Hirsch & Mann wins Playable City award for interactive pedestrian crossings
by Kim Megson | 02 Nov 2016
Hirsch & Mann’s Stop Smile Stroll is an intervention at pedestrian crossings that brings strangers together for 'a serendipitous shared moment' / Hirsch & Mann
Design and technology consultancy Hirsch & Mann are set to transform everyday pedestrian crossings into playful multi-sensory experiences after winning the 2016 Playable City Award.
Artists, designers, architects, technologists and creative practitioners from all over the world were invited to propose distinctive ideas to reuse city infrastructure and utilise smart city technologies “to put people and play at the heart of the future city.”
Eight projects out of 81 applications from 34 countries were shortlisted for their entries, which responded to the theme 'Journeys.'
Hirsch & Mann’s 'Stop, Smile, Stroll' is an intervention at pedestrian crossings that brings strangers together for “a serendipitous shared moment” that interrupts their everyday stop and walk routine.
Pedestrians will press a button to cross the road. When the light goes green for them, sounds, lights, images and other transformations will bring the crosswalk to life, encouraging passers by and people in the cars to participate as much as they choose.
The transformations will reference local data points, aiming to be relevant to their communities, and range from “a 30-second party to a moment of quiet reflection.”
The studio will receive £30,000 (€33,300, US$37,000) to develop and test their ideas in Bristol, before touring to other Playable City cities globally.
The award was established by Bristol film, culture and digital media centre Watershed in a bid to explore how the cities of the future might be made more connected and engaging through creative design ideas that are directly rooted in the specific city environment.
Cities including Lagos, Recife and Tokyo have piloted schemes supported by Watershed.
Previous projects that have won the Playable City Award include Shadowing, which gives memory to city lights, enabling them to record and play back the shadows of those who passed underneath; Urbanimals, a playful pack of origami-like wild beasts who appear in unexpected places across the city; Empath, an audio-augmented reality experience that enables you to become someone else and navigate their life based on real-world decisions; and Hello Lamp Post, a simple text messaging system that allows people to start conversations with city objects like bus shelters and parking meters.
Hirsch & Mann Playable City Award conscious cities future technology smart cities designMore news
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Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
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by Magali Robathan | 18 Apr 2026
The much-anticipated V&A East Museum has opened in Stratford, east London, UK. Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the new branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is a cornerstone of the East Bank cultural complex in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Intended as a legacy for the 2012 London Olympics, the project was inspired by the cultural boom in South Kensington after the 1851 Great Exhibition and London's
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
The Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries have opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, US. Spanning LA's Wilshire Boulevard, the elevated exhibition space houses LACMA's permanent collection, allowing the museum to present art from all cultures and eras on a single level without hierarchies or prescribed visitor pathways. “This building is not just about the flow of people. It's actually about the flow of
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building. The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
World of Frozen has opened at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris with new offerings across the entire park. The expansion almost doubles the size of Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in a life-size recreation of the Kingdom of Arendel. The World of Frozen features a Tangled -inspired attraction, 14 new dining locations and a large lake debuting a new night-time spectacular. It also features a daytime celebration, themed shopping, and
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
by Helen Andrews | 14 Apr 2026
The €200m (US$221.3 million, £169.7 million) Pical Resort, Valamar Collection has opened in Croatia with the country’s first ESPA spa. Valamar Riviera, a Croatian tourism company and hotel operator has revealed the 514-key property in Poreč, Istria. The development of the Pical Resort represents Valamar’s largest investment to date. The accommodation is split into the following options: the Pical Hotel, the luxury all-inclusive Pical Family Hotel, the exclusive Pical Suites
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
Holistic design and architecture practice Mendil + Meyer, based in Arizona in the US, has introduced a new division called Lām Concepts to integrate and align wellness goals for projects before they reach the design stage. Ben Meyer, architect and co-founder of Mendil + Meyer, told Spa Business exclusively about the new division: “Lām comes from the word loam, meaning fertile ground – the place where conditions are right for
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
Wilderness, an operator of 60 safari camps across eight African countries, has unveiled the second spa under its new concept called The Sanctuary, at Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda. The Sanctuary is a concept that pairs design and wellness with raw, restorative landscapes. The offering at the Rwandan property follows the opening of a different interpretation of The Sanctuary’s concept at Wilderness Mombo in Botswana. Read more about that property here.
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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