Client: Airport Authority Hong Kong

Overview

Hong Kong International Airport’s Journey of Discovery by Moment Factory in Terminal 1 invites passengers to experience the joy of travel and the spirit of Hong Kong. Located at strategic touchpoints, four multimedia activations contribute to this holistic effort to create a welcoming environment and impart a deep sense of place from curb to gate, while offering awe-inspiring experiences for local and international travellers alike.

At the center of the Meeters and Greeters Hall, the Crystal Elevator greets travellers. Its prismatic glass facade opens to reveal 8 thematic videos. Each digital art piece offers a window into a unique universe, providing travelers with moments of surprise and wonder, from a sweeping tour of landmarks crafted from paper, to an arcade crane game played with 3D toy versions of beloved local cartoon characters.

At opposite ends of the hall, twin Waterfall Gardens encourage moments of zen with the soothing sights and sounds of nature. Designed to reward relaxation, the interactive ecosystem springs to life as people grow still.

Capping off the journey, Totems of Joy at each departure gate offer a friendly goodbye with destination-based ‘travel selfie’ prompts.The totems show artistic content in real time based on more than 150 destinations assigned

Goals

As part of Airport Authority Hong Kong’s ambitious revitalization plan for the terminal, the vision for Journey of Discovery is to offer passengers a world-class experience and welcoming ambience with a distinctly local twist while strengthening the airport’s renown as a leading destination. Drawing upon deep cultural insights, the Journey of Discovery facilitates meaningful connections with Hong Kong throughout the terminal and its multimedia installations, for locals and visitors alike.


It was therefore very important to create dynamic content celebrating the spirit of the city and transforming the passenger experience through cultural discovery. More than 100 artists contributed to bring the Journey of Discovery to life and showcase the multifaceted spirit of Hong Kong. Local artists include Bigsoil, John Chan, and Mandycat, whose much-loved characters appear in the Crystal Elevator’s toy crane animation.

Process

The success of the project relied on careful back-end integration. The complexity and scale of the installations required a 360-degree approach to comply with airport regulations and align with experts from multiple airport departments, including operations, construction, and procurement teams.


Airport Authority Hong Kong invited Moment Factory to collaborate early in the Terminal 1 revitalization process, allowing technical and creative teams to make seamless integration a strategic focus throughout the project. The process began with a discovery phase that included mapping out the airport journey to identify key moments, emotions and traveller needs based on qualitative data, such as dwell times, and pre-existing passenger behaviours.

To showcase Hong Kong in a way that resonates with locals and international visitors, the creative team looked beyond ordinary observations to draw deep insights from the values, sense of humour, and social realities that define Hong Kong. Going beyond conventional approaches to technology and reactivity, the experience weaves a consistent narrative throughout, offering a window into the magnificent kaleidoscope of Hong Kong.

Additional Information

Since it was unveiled in July 2022, the project has won: Galaxy Awards |Special Events | Digital Installation, 2022 Digital Signage Awards | Public Spaces, 2023