(Australia) – Come June, Sydney’s Chatswood will host leading experts in architectural digital technology for four days of conferences, seminars and symposia.

Come June 2016, the prestigious Media Architecture Biennale will project Sydney into the digital media spotlight. From 1 June, The Concourse in Sydney’s Chatswood will host the world’s leading experts in architectural digital technology for four days of conferences, seminars and symposia designed to discuss, assess and debate the impact of digital technology in the future design and development of smarter and more liveable cities. As in previous years, mondo*arc will be a media partner of this year’s event.

Sydney, Australia: Design and urban planning experts from around the globe will transform The Concourse, on Sydney’s North Shore into a digital media technology hub, for the 5th international Media Architecture Biennale. From 1-4 June, architectural and design professionals, academics, state and federal government representatives and specialised experts in digital placemaking will host a series of workshops, symposia and events designed to explore the existing and future impact of digital technologies on urban planning within global cities.

“The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 brings together specialists who are passionate about reinventing urban communities and utilising public spaces to communicate. The official buzzword and theme for this year’s event is digital placemaking; the use of digital technology within a dedicated public urban space, designed specifically for the purpose of communicating with the public,” said Dr M. Hank Haeusler, General Chair of The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 (UNSW Australia).

Federation Square, in central Melbourne is currently Australia’s best example of digital placemaking; in 2014 it was named the 6th Best Public Square in the world by Landscape Architects Network. Matt Jones, General Manager of Program & Events at the iconic Australian outdoor gathering space, will be on hand at this year’s event to share knowledge from his own first-hand experience with digital placemaking.

Bringing together esteemed industry professionals, The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 is an exciting and innovative series of presentations and debates, and presents the latest research from around the globe and Australia. Conferences and symposia will be hosted by local and international leaders in the field, who will pivot discussions focused on the role of digital technology in mass communication and its function in bringing urban communities closer together.

Among the illustrious line-up of international guests attending will be Ethan Kent, Senior Vice President at Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) in New York City. Kent has over seventeen years experience at PPS, in that time he has travelled to more than 750 cities and 55 countries to advance the cause of digital placemaking and public space works to support placemaking organisations, projects and leadership around the world.

Kent has worked on over 200 public space projects including: Times Square in New York (USA), Kennedy Plaza in Providence (RI, USA), Garden Place (Hamilton, NZ) and Sub Centro Las Condes (Santiago Chile) and on public space creations in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Auckland and more locally in Parramatta.

“We are very excited to host Kent at The Media Architecture Biennale 2016, we look forward to hearing his strategies and opinions regarding the future of digital placemaking and how we might implement some of those ideas in Australia,” said Dr Martin Tomitsch (The University of Sydney, General Chair of The Media Architecture Biennale 2016).

“Australia is one of the most highly urbanised cities in the world. With 69% of the population living in cities, urban planning is critical. Keeping urban communities engaged is essential to creating liveable cities, bringing people together in otherwise unused spaces is now a possibility and a reality with urban planning and digital placemaking,” said Dr.Tomitsch.

A very local Smart City case study comes courtesy of Mr Bruce Duyshart, Director of Meld Strategies, who recently developed a Smart City Masterplan for Parramatta (NSW) in collaboration with the City of Parramatta.

“Smart Cities can no longer afford to rest upon the way they have always done things. They need to look towards smarter, more collaborative, innovative and technologically superior ways of achieving outcomes that are relevant to their city and the strategic direction it needs to undertake. Faced with the increasing demands of a modern city and recognising the need for change, many Smart Cities narrow down the key benefits of adopting a new approach to three key areas: liveability, sustainability and economic prosperity. This is an exciting new era in both Smart City planning and Smart Building design and the Media Architecture Biennale is the perfect stage for this conversation,” said Duyshart.

Duyshart will be an integral of part of The Media Architecture Biennale 2016, his first hand experience in strategising, designing and implementing smart buildings and smart precincts will provide valuable insights into the progression of these topics in the industry and how the broader topic of Smart Cities is beginning to take hold.

The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 will deliver four days of insights and conversations with global professionals that seek to develop, enhance and improve digital media technology and drive communication within urban communities of the future. Today, more than ever, communications and digital media are increasingly important to the growth and development of smarter and more liveable cities.

The calendar of Media Architecture Biennale 2016 activities commences on 1 June and concludes 4 June, among the events are; Symposia, Workshops, Conference, Public Talks, Exhibition, Gala Dinner and an Awards Ceremony. A number of media architecture artworks will be displayed as part of the Vivid Lights program in various locations throughout Sydney. All events are open to industry and public through ticket sales. Industry professionals travelling to Sydney for the Biennale might take the opportunity to combine the visit with the DIS 2016 (Designing Interactive Systems) conference, which takes place in Brisbane, Queensland from 4-8 June. The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 is presented as part of the Vivid Ideas program at Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas.

www.vividsydney.com

The MAB16 is designed to be interactive, engaging and above all – informative.

For tickets visits the MAB website: www.mab16.org

Full Access Pass Pre-Sale: $390 Regular: $490 Student: $270

Workshop Pass (full day / half day) Location: Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC), University of NSW
Pre-Sale: $35 / $25 Regular: $45 / $35 Student: $20 / $10

Symposium Pass Location: Civic Pavilion, The Concourse, Chatswood
Pre-Sale: $70 Regular: $80 Student: $40 (limited to 40 tickets)

2-Day Conference Pass Location: Theatre, The Concourse, Chatswood
Pre-Sale: $190 Regular: $220 Student: $100

1-Day Conference Pass Location: Theatre, The Concourse, Chatswood
Pre-Sale: $110 Regular: $130 Student: $50

Gala Dinner Pass Location: Harbour Cruise, leaving from Darling Harbour
Pre-Sale: $200 Regular: $250 Student: $130

Keynote Pass Location: Theatre, The Concourse, Chatswood
Pre-Sale: $25 Regular: $30 Student: $15

The opening ceremony on 2 June and the Media Architecture Exhibition are free, open to the public events.