Launch of AR Platform In Penang Brings Armenian Park To Life

Visitors to the park will have a distinctive interactive experience thanks to the Armenian Park project, an AR interactive outdoor art installation.

Launch of AR Platform In Penang Brings Armenian Park To Life

A new augmented reality (AR) platform that was launched in Penang has brought Armenian Park to life. The “Armenian Park” project, according to Yeoh Soon Hin, chairman of the State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee, consists of 19 trackable images of batik artworks from Mandy Maung’s Orikata Tales collection.

Visitors to the park will have a distinctive interactive experience thanks to the Armenian Park project, an AR interactive outdoor art installation.

“We can enhance the visitor experience and add value to the destination by incorporating AR art in Armenian Park,” he told the media at the recent ARmenian Park launching ceremony.

Armenian Street is one of Penang’s best-known tourist destinations. He added that Penang was the first Malaysian state to open an AR park. Yeoh added that when visitors scan the code with the Perk Reality app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store or the iPhone app store, they can see the artwork come to life.

He added that the trackable images’ content would change each month, giving more artists a platform to exhibit their creations. “We will be able to provide a new channel for artists to showcase their work, both locally and internationally,” he said of the use of augmented reality technology.

With the creation of a public green space, the Armenian Park and neighboring back lanes project sought to strengthen a densely populated residential enclave in one of the inner areas of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site (GTWHS).

One of the few open spaces in the more populated areas of George Town, the park is situated at the intersection of Lebuh Acheh and Lebuh Armenian. The roughly 2,600 m2 open space is conducive to the development of a community garden in a neighbourhood with little open space.

The open area was created as a result of a fire that decimated several structures in the late 19th century. Over time, the area evolved into a neighbourhood gathering place for residents.