Dreamscape is a series of immersive virtual experiences designed by Creative Director Paul Milinski. It was launched in 2020 to explore the new frontiers of Environmental Design, during the global pandemic. The company that followed the project, Loftgarten, specializes in creating photorealistic experiences through 3D rendering. Their philosophy lies in the continuous research for creating an “enhanced reality”, exploiting the infinite possibilities of futuristic design and taking our relationship with everyday objects to the next level; all in utopian and surreal virtual scenarios.

In this regard, Milinski told Dezeen that he is creating worlds that are “surreal but not entirely unattainable, worlds that inspire us of a potential future and offer an experience of wonder and escape.” This point of view is really welcomed, especially at a time when virtual events and experiences have proven to be vital for brands and businesses due to the restrictions of mobility globally.

Virtual environments provide a taste of escape that many of us crave.

What does this mean?

The increasing adoption of virtual environments has given us a way to escape from reality, from the comfort of an office chair: instead of passively watching someone explain or demonstrate something from their sofa, people can now interact with a product or service by immersing themselves in virtual retail spaces, fashion shows, conference rooms… Virtual environments provide a taste of escape that many of us crave.

These environments not only allow users to experience something new but offer the possibility of being designed in infinite ways, where the only limit is the imagination, allowing for an equally infinite choice of landscapes – from floating cities to colourful landscapes and arid deserts. As Charlotte Taylor, Interior Designer and Creative Director, explains to Dezeen: “Utopian and fictional spaces fuel people’s imagination and appetite for a change of scenery, whether it’s completely possible or not.”

However, efforts on virtual experiences based on the creation of immersive environments and digital escapes must continue to complete these experiences with the only sense that is still truly missing: the tactile component. This need has become even stronger with the pandemic, which has left a feeling of creative aridity and a desire to travel, a feeling that will certainly influence the design of the live experience soon.

This need has become even stronger with the pandemic, which has left a feeling of creative aridity and a desire to travel, a feeling that will certainly influence the design of the live experience of the near future.

Before the pandemic hit, in fact, the field of “transportation interior” was already being explored, especially inside bars and restaurants. People’s culinary experiences have seen some transformations of interior design from common and medium-beauty places into immersive and pure escape places. A practical example is the Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, where customers can experience a holistic dinner: the ceiling has a dome similar to a planetarium and people can sit in a space that immerses them in a Japanese garden with cherry blossoms or on top of a mountain under the Northern Lights.

Finally, such an approach is also essential to engage Millennials, who can appreciate this kind of experience more than anyone else, in their continuous desire to read a story behind every cup of coffee or dish served.