If you happen to find yourself in New York City anytime soon, you should check this out. Located on 7th Avenue, just north of Times Square, the new NYC Information Center opened its doors to the public on January 21st. Designed by WXY architecture+urban design and Local Projects, the new center transforms a storefront into an “information space”, seamlessly integrating media design and architecture to help reinvent the way visitors and residents navigate the city.
Visitors can interact with the latest digital technologies to create custom guidebooks they can take on the go, thus eliminating the need for printed brochures. Smart tables and touch screens allow visitors to get answers to the top 100 frequently asked questions in ten different languages, choose activities and map events. Once the custom guidebook is built, it can be easily emailed, printed out or sent to a cell phone.
Animating the Center’s back wall, the “FlyNYC” is a space for visitors to influence each other with their own personal choices, as well as with celebrity movies and locals’ tips. Individual itineraries are projected as a personalized helicopter ride over the city.
“Our city’s travel and tourism industry is as important today as ever, and we’ve invested in new tools to attract visitors and formed innovative partnerships with brands such as Google and Travelocity to promote the city to people around the world,” – Mayor Michael Bloomberg WXY’s website via world architecture news