UNStudio’s ‘Nippon Moon’ giant observation in Japan wheel has been designed to create a journey in which learning about the environment, culture and one’s individual part in this is central.
Four key elements define the logics of the socio-architectural design; enhancement of the senses, interactivity, experience and romanticism. Through the integration of interactive design elements a virtual world was created in which the visitor becomes part of the social network which revolves around the GOW.
Discovery, the Ride and the Return are three chapters of the design which contribute to attracting visitors and to the stimulation of the imagination.The Nippon moon app is designed as a strategy for a user-experience interface that can be installed on smartphones and tablets. During the ride, this accessible software makes it possible to communicate with people in the other capsules.
In addition the possibility to enhance the senses through the incorporation of augmented animations or sounds helps to focus the experience of the visitor. The app also allows the visitor to switch from reality to digitally altered views from the capsules, which are created through augmented reality techniques in the transparent skin of the capsules.
Though the height is currently undisclosed, its designer UNStudio has hinted that it could be twice the scale of the London Eye, potentially putting it amongst the tallest wheels in the world, if not the tallest. Commissioned by Japanese company Ferris Wheel Investment Co Ltd, the Nippon Moon has been designed in collaboration with Arup, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Experientia.
