IE School of Architecture and Design discusses the challenges of the virtual world at Metaverse Summit Paris

According to JP Morgan, these new immersive environments will be worth more than $1 trillion in the forthcoming years.

Paris, July 13th, 2022-. On July 16th and 17th, IE School of Architecture will be hosting a panel about Metaverse Cities at the Metaverse Summit Paris, a two day event with leading representatives of the industry ranging from entrepreneurs, investors, artists, and developers. Over 2000 attendees and 100 speakers including representatives of companies such The Sandbox, PWC, etc, will discuss key topics such as social and digital identity, Web3 and decentralization, gaming and interactivity, and mixed reality of the virtual world.

“The Metaverse Summit aims to bring together industry leaders and enthusiasts alike in order to cultivate an environment of learning, networking and growth. We are truly grateful to have the opportunity to host some of the industry's most talented and experienced leaders, giving them a platform to showcase their knowledge and inspire others to take charge of the industry,” said Yingzi Yuan, Founder of Metaverse Summit.

Within the Mixed Reality Track, Vice Dean Cristina Mateo will lead a conversation titled “Metaverse cities, more than just digital twins” with the participation of three alumni: Marta Ortigosa, Simon Abboud and Bernard d’Arche. The three will discuss the risks of recreating the errors of real-world cities by transplanting real-world logics of property development into the metaverse, often due to the lack of professionals trained in the built environment involved in the development of the Metaverse.

“For us, this is an opportunity not to miss. We know when a city does not work in real life, so as an academic institution, training future professionals in the digital, natural and built environment, we need to talk about avoid transplanting such errors into the metaverse and recreate the social and economic stratification we find in real-world cities.”

Cristina Mateo

She believes that the whole purpose of our participation is to contribute to the development of a metaverse where existing real life problems are not replicated.

Also, “Architecting the Metaverse”, will see several alumni present their current projects regarding new virtual spaces and NFTs. Architect Jennifer Durand and designer Mónica Pastor will contribute to an exhibition that will be curated in a virtual space and which also visitors of the summit will be given a tour of it via virtual headsets at the venue in Paris. Attendees to Metaverse Summit will be able to see the exhibition in Spatial.

Finally, alumni and international new media artist Enrique Agudo will exhibit his latest work Ipseity, at the VIP Gala at Atelier des Lumières, a 360° immersive projection space. Agudo’s project consists of two digital paintings which are now permanently installed in the Auditorium foyer of IE Tower, the fifth-highest building in Madrid, and built with sustainable architecture. Both works can be seen on LED displays, in which deities from ancient mythology invite the public to consider the role of technology no longer as a vehicle for efficiency and productivity, but as a generator of culture and builder of contemporary human identity.

This participation of IE School of Architecture and Design in this leading event, reinforces the commitment of IE University to immersive education. As announced last month, the institution will open campuses in several metaverses in 2023, including Roblox and Decentranland, where students can attend classes and enjoy events in a digital environment.

Metaverse Summit Paris will take place on the 16th and 17th of July at Station F, a Tech Hub & business incubator for startups, noted as the world’s largest startup facility and it is situated in a former rail freight depot previously known as la Halle Freyssinet.