Software developer has idea for vacant Route 66 buildings

Albuquerque Rosenwald mockup

A software developer in Albuquerque has come up with a fascinating idea to help transform vacant buildings along the city’s Central Avenue (aka Route 66) corridor, according to KOB-TV.

Max Baptiste recently founded an initiative called We Are This City.

Baptiste’s initiative will focus on transforming the exteriors of downtown vacant buildings through art and technology. […]
The first project WATC is undertaking is the historic Rosenwald building at Fourth Street and Central Avenue. […]
“With the large scale art, what we’re doing is vinyl across the windows, and we are also doing origami birds that are going to be hanging across the street as well as in the trees,” described Baptiste.
WATC plans to project images onto the art, using the concept called projection mapping.
“We can actually change how the building looks with a projector,” Baptiste said.
“Such as have walls disappear, or have walls move or add walls to the building. So really make it an entertaining experience for the end user.”

Baptiste’s idea it to bring more people to downtown Albuquerque and heighten interest in the district and the buildings themselves.

If the Rosenwald project succeeds, We Are This City hopes to expand the program to other vacant buildings. The Rosenwald was built as a department store in 1910 and is listed by the city as a historic landmark.

I have no idea if this will work. But it’s intriguing enough that it’s worth a try.

(An artist’s rendering, via a KOB-TV screen capture, of the transformed Rosenwald Building in Albuquerque)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.