In 2021, with many people working from home during the global pandemic, Oppenheim was invited by the gallery director Anne Mosseri-Marlio to develop an immersive virtual art gallery space, launched with an exhibition of work by artist Minoru Onoda. Having designed the physical Anne Mosseri-Marlio Gallerie, Basel in 2013, we had a deep understanding of the quality of space required for its artists.

While most online viewing rooms (OVRs) depict two-dimensional art, the Anne Mosseri-Marlio Virtual Art Gallery offers a lifelike viewing experience that truly transports the visitor into a bespoke and timeless architectural interior—a first in the gallery world. We designed the space with meticulous attention to detail and realism—from the floor to the ceiling, the windows to the walls, their relationships and scale.

Working closely with digital visualization pioneers The Boundary, we created an intimate experience. Visitors can click their way through the 3D space, where the artworks can be enjoyed in comfort and safety from anywhere in the world. A spacious main gallery is home to seasonal shows; while a surprise pop-up experience, “The Space” by Oppenheim Architecture, hosts a special artwork from the current exhibition, where visitors are teleported from a niche inside the main gallery to an extraordinary customized environment.

A range of spaces—from open niches along the central hall to deep alcoves with dramatic height and lighting—can display artworks of differing scales and mediums, complemented by a grand yet restrained palette of material finishes and details. Both natural and artificial lighting is subtle and consistent throughout, while special attention has been given to the relationship of the gallery to the exterior, where nature and the city are framed by the architecture.

Our client was committed to serve her clients and support her artists in a safe and engaging way during the pandemic. This virtual art gallery delivers this with a new kind of space—one that is more tactile, experiential, and nuanced than anything created before.