Gimbal City
Collaborate with other players and become architects of an imagined Gimbal City using this design machine by architectural research studio iheartblob. Pick a station and investigate the unusual controls to select buildings, landscaping, colours and materials for a constantly evolving cityscape. As you design so do your fellow players, so any changes you make will be reflected on each other’s screens in real time. Gimbal City resets every day, so you can browse the archive of past cities on the viewing screen, as well as see the live version being created now.
This work was commissioned by V&A Dundee as part of their exhibition Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World (29 March–27 October 2024). It is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, awarded by Dundee City Council.
V&A Curators: Meredith More & Francesca Bibby
Design & Game integration: iheartblob
AV & Sound Design: Troy Nelson
Fabrication: Old School Fabrications
Video footage: ARCH+AERIAL
Hardware: Andy Shepherd
Collaborative Game Mechanics
Synergy: Players must communicate and collaborate effectively to ensure their efforts are complementary. For example, the Builder may need to coordinate with the Planter to ensure green spaces are integrated with building layouts, while the Painter can enhance the aesthetic appeal of both built and planted elements.
Strategy: Success in the game depends on strategic planning and teamwork. Players should consider the overall layout, environmental impact, and visual harmony when performing their tasks
"build"
1. Place various types of buildings on selected plots
2. Access to diverse range of building typologies (residential, commercial, industrial, etc)
"plant"
1. Place various types of vegetation and environmentakl elements
2. Access to variety of plant typologies.
"paint"
1. Alter materiality and appearance of selected build and plant structures.
2. Access to variety material pallettes.
Photography by ARCH+AERIAL
