If Only...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The virtual reality project 'If Only...' was a collaboration between the RMIT Centre for Game Design Research, M@ STUDIO Architects and d__Lab RMIT which focuses on game design experience and architectural design. The temporary pavilion by M@ STUDIO Architects for the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission titled "Haven't you always wanted...?" transplanted a suburban car wash into the unfamiliar surroundings of the art gallery through an exploration of 'uncertain conditions' and 'dematerialisation'. The virtual reality experience 'If Only...' - presented alongside the pavilion - invited NGV visitors to evoke, and to experience, changes to the architectural design, from inside the architectural environment. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: The VR experience offered by 'If Only...' goes beyond the typical framing of traditional architectural visualisation and electronic gaming spaces. It extends the notions of 'uncertain conditions' and 'dematerialisation' explored in the design of the pavilion through the inclusion of dynamically changing materials, time-lapse and a changing soundscape. The work validated previous research on the public display of VR experiences and discovered a range of new formal approaches to the challenges of design exploration, audience engagement, intuitive immersive user interface design and public display of immersive interfaces. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: This work created an immersive and playful information space with embodied audio-visual qualities, which facilitated not only aesthetic experimentation, interrogation and analysis, but also immediate interaction with its audience. The significance of the work is evidenced by its public presentation over a 2-month period to complement the commissioned pavilion 'Haven't you always wanted...?' which generated extensive media attention at the peer-reviewed venue NGV International.