Echoes of Providence

Providence Place Mall has declined in performance since its early years. Our objective was to understand the causes and explore ways to restore the “Providence Spirit” within this commercial center. Through in person research and interviews with local residents, we examined how people feel about the city and what would meaningfully reconnect them to this space.

We documented Providence and the individuals we interviewed, using their stories and perspectives as our primary source of inspiration. From the character of its residents to the city’s physical and architectural structures, we studied how Providence is shaped both socially and spatially. These observations informed the direction of the project, ensuring the design reflected the identity, history, and built environment of the community.

Using SnapLens technology, we developed custom augmented reality experiences inspired by the unique identity of Providence. These lenses allowed visitors to interact with the mall environment in a new, digitally-enhanced way that highlighted local culture and history. Specifically I created two lenses, one to tribute to the Waterfire event and the other to celebrate the art scene specificaly the murals in providence.

We designed and custom-built physical pedestals and walls to anchor the AR experience. These physical structures acted as markers and portals, bridging the gap between the physical mall space and the digital Providence spirit, using QR codes to trigger the AR experiences. Building 9 structures in total.