A new chapter in digital art and immersive experiences has begun in the heart of Jeddah’s burgeoning cultural district. The launch of the teamLab Borderless venue, a pioneering digital art museum, marks a significant milestone for the city of Jeddah and for Saudi Arabia as a whole. This ambitious project is in harmony with the nation’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to diversify its cultural offerings and open up to the world in new and exciting ways.
BeWunder, a global leader in technology integration, was part of the team tasked with bringing teamLab’s vision to life, delivering the full technical scope of the project. To delve deeper into the journey of creating this unique venue, we spoke with three key members of the BeWunder team: Daniel Charles, senior project manager; Ubair Riyaz, deputy project manager and planning manager; and Gurmeet Kaur, design coordination manager.
Together, they offer an inside look at the challenges, innovations, and triumphs that defined this project.
The genesis of a vision
teamLab is a Japanese interdisciplinary art collective that creates immersive digital art projects. Founded in 2001, it uses cutting-edge technology to create immersive, interactive experiences that combine art, science, technology, and nature. The collective investigates the boundaries between the human body and nature, the individual and the universe, and time.
In addition to the new Jeddah gallery, teamLab has several other permanent teamLab museums, including teamLab Planets Tokyo, teamLab Massless Beijing, and the open-air teamLab museum, teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka. Another new development is underway in the UAE, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi. The collective’s artwork can also be found in venues worldwide, such as the National Museum of Singapore, Superblue Miami, and Grand Central Station in New York City.
The idea for the teamLab venue in Jeddah was born from a desire to offer a once-in-a-lifetime digital art experience, not just for the city’s residents but for the millions of visitors who pass through Jeddah each year, especially those on their way to Mecca. The Ministry of Culture, the project’s primary backer, envisioned a space that would be both culturally enriching and technologically groundbreaking.
“The Ministry of Culture wanted something truly unique for Jeddah,” Charles explains. “Given the city’s significance as a gateway to Mecca, it was the perfect location to introduce a new kind of cultural experience to Saudi Arabia. The vision was to create a digital art museum that could stand alongside the world’s best, and do so in record time.”
Introducing BeWunder
BeWunder, with its global expertise and deep understanding of cultural projects, was the ideal partner for achieving this vision.
The company’s specialisation in spatial experiences, particularly in permanent installations like museums, positioned them perfectly for this challenge. BeWunder is a turnkey partner for conferences, expos, band pavilions, museums, exhibitions, visitor centres, digital art spaces, and public and business events.
“We’re a global company,” says Charles. “We’ve got offices in Europe, Japan, where we’re currently working on World Expo projects, and the Middle East. One of the things that makes us unique is the scale of projects we do. Digital art museums are a fairly new concept, and doing projects of this size in our industry is extremely rare. And we’ve proven ourselves to be leaders in this area.”
The group is passionate about crafting multisensory visitor experiences that skilfully combine staged lighting, interactive elements, multimedia technology and information, architecture, and scenery. The team specialises in employing an end-to-end strategy to close the gap between vision and reality.
Collaboration across continents brings teamLab Borderless Jeddah to life
BeWunder served as the local technical partner for teamLab Borderless Jeddah. The collaboration brought together diverse perspectives and expertise, creating a seamless blend of artistic vision and technological innovation.
“One of the key factors in our success was our prior experience working with Japanese designers,” says Kaur. “We understood their working processes and were able to integrate that with the demands and expectations of the project in Jeddah. We maintained an open line of communication with teamLab. This ensured all stakeholders were aligned and we could meet the project’s ambitious timeline.”
This open communication was crucial, especially given the challenge of completing the project in just nine months—a timeline that would typically be set at two years. The team held multiple workshops and meetings to align expectations, address site limitations, and overcome technical challenges.
“teamLab was very clear from the outset about their vision,” adds Riyaz. “We were equally transparent about the practicalities and limitations. This openness allowed us to work together effectively and deliver the project within such a short timeframe.”
Technical triumphs and challenges
The sheer scale and complexity of the teamLab venue presented numerous technical challenges. The museum’s immersive nature demanded cutting-edge technology and a seamless integration of various elements to create a truly captivating experience.
“The most challenging aspect was the project size,” Kaur explains. “What visitors see is just the tip of the iceberg. An extensive amount of backend technology supports the experience. teamLab had a very precise vision. Achieving it required a lot of research and development, especially given the site’s limitations and the compressed timeline.”
One of the project’s key innovations was integrating all five senses into the visitor experience. The venue is designed to engage visitors on multiple levels—visually, audibly, and even olfactorily—creating an environment where art and technology merge seamlessly.
Technology that enhances the experience
However, this technology had to be invisible:
“As a technology integrator, my first instinct in a digital art museum is to look at the ceiling and see how the installation was done! However, for visitors, technology should disappear. They should only see the art and be completely immersed in it,” says Charles.
This philosophy extended to every aspect of the project, from the state-of-the-art equipment to meticulous attention to detail in aligning with teamLab’s artistic vision. Each room in the museum is a unique experience, requiring a high degree of customisation and technological precision.
“Each room was like a mini project within itself,” says Kaur. “The equipment running behind the scenes had to be the best available, ensuring that there was no compromise on quality. This was crucial to achieving the synergy between art and technology that teamLab envisioned.”
Highlights of the visitor experience at teamLab Borderless Jeddah
So, what can visitors expect when they step into the teamLab venue in Jeddah? The museum offers a series of immersive experiences that are as diverse as they are captivating. From rooms that react to visitors’ presence to spaces where children can see their drawings come to life, the venue is designed to engage audiences of all ages.
Highlights include the Athletics Forests space. This features installations like Rapidly Rotating Bouncing Sphere, a space made up of spheres that people can jump on, and the Multi Jumping Universe, a flexible surface on which multiple people can jump at the same time and sink or jump higher than usual.
Guests can also explore the educational initiative Future Park, built around co-creation or collaborative creation. Here, guests can freely build the world with others, working together to create endlessly evolving art. For instance, in Sketch Ocean, visitors can colour in fish, which then come to life and swim around in the ocean around them. Sometimes, the fish leave the room, transcend the boundaries between artworks, and begin to swim through the museum.
“When you think of a digital art museum, you might not immediately think of it as a place for children,” says Riyaz. “But we’ve dedicated an entire floor to enhancing the experience for kids. They can draw an aquatic animal, scan it, and then see it projected on the wall, swimming with other creatures. It’s a unique experience that brings families together and makes them want to return.”
Interactive and engaging
The museum also features interactive elements that extend beyond the visual, engaging visitors’ other senses as well. This multisensory approach is a hallmark of teamLab’s work, ensuring that the experience is not just seen but felt.
“One of the most innovative aspects is how everything comes together harmoniously to create a fully immersive environment,” says Kaur. “The sensors detect where visitors are and adjust the content accordingly. This creates a dynamic interaction between the artwork and the audience.”
For BeWunder, seeing the project come to life and witnessing visitors’ reactions has been deeply rewarding. “The pinnacle for us is seeing people enjoy the space,” says Charles. “After nine months of intense work, watching families come out of the museum with smiles on their faces makes it all worth it.”
Aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
The teamLab venue in Jeddah is more than just a museum; it symbolises Saudi Arabia’s broader cultural and technological ambitions under the Vision 2030 plan. The project exemplifies the nation’s commitment to opening up to new forms of entertainment and embracing global cultural influences.
“A big part of Vision 2030 is about opening up to the world and bringing other cultures into Saudi Arabia,” says Riyaz. “This museum is a perfect example of that. It’s a Japanese-designed experience that’s now here in Jeddah for locals and visitors alike to enjoy. It’s about more than just the art—it’s about cultural exchange and creating something that resonates on a global scale.”
The successful completion of this project within such a tight timeframe is also a testament to the country’s potential and capabilities. “When we first saw the timeline, we were sceptical. But looking at what we’ve achieved, it’s clear that Saudi Arabia has the potential to accomplish even more ambitious goals. This project is just one example of what’s possible.”
Reflections and personal highlights from the creation of teamLab Borderless Jeddah
Looking back, the team at BeWunder is proud of their contributions to the project and its impact. For Charles, one of the highlights was seeing the project go from a concept on paper to a fully realised space that exceeded expectations.
“We all laughed at the beginning when the timeline was laid out,” says Charles. “But we pulled it off. That’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
For Kaur, the project was a unique learning experience that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in digital art installations. “Many of the fit-out items were one-of-a-kind, made specifically for this museum,” she says. “Achieving the level of quality and innovation that we did in such a short time is something we can all be proud of.”
The team’s experience with this project has also deepened their belief in the potential of Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector. “This project is a testament to what the country is trying to do,” Riyaz concludes. “The targets may seem ambitious, but they’re achievable with the right people and companies. This project has shown that.”
With the doors of teamLab Borderless Jeddah now open to the public, this is more than just a museum—it’s a symbol of a new era for cultural experiences in Saudi Arabia, where innovation, art, and technology converge to create something truly extraordinary.
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