To commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Gates, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s monumental 2005 installation in Central Park, The Shed commissioned a new augmented reality experience to connect visitors with the project’s enduring legacy.
I served as Senior Developer for an iPad-based AR app built in Unity, installed as part of the exhibition The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City. Seven iPads were mounted around a large table featuring a physical map of Central Park, serving as a shared canvas for spatially anchored archival media.
Visitors could explore photos, videos, and firsthand accounts from The Gates installation, all geolocated to their original positions within the park. A selection of 360° photospheres provided immersive portals into the past, letting users re-experience the orange saffron fabric weaving through the winter landscape.
The project blended historical storytelling with spatial computing, inviting users to navigate memory, place, and art in a shared interactive space.
