A location-based AR experience by Pixeldust for the Nuevo León government, pairing a physical installation with augmented reality.
Thousands of people circle Monterrey’s famous obelisk every day, and most never stop. The landmark stands in a busy traffic circle at the heart of a vibrant downtown, drawing locals and tourists alike, which made it the perfect place for something new: a historical, location-based experience that turns a roundabout into a destination.
Working with the government of Nuevo León, Mexico, Pixeldust combined a physical design installation with augmented reality: illustrated plaques and totems for all 51 municipalities, a custom AR app, and glowing interactive fountains that bring families back after dark.
A landmark, augmented
Monterrey’s famous obelisk stands in a traffic circle at the center of a vibrant downtown, where thousands of people pass every day. Pixeldust turned the landmark into a digital attraction that entertains and educates locals and tourists alike.
Pixeldust illustrated and designed fifty-one plaques around the obelisk, one for each municipality of Nuevo León, with basic information about each one. The design team took care not to overwhelm the space: the plaques are easy to read on foot but unobtrusive from a distance, they include a Braille strip for visually impaired visitors, and they double as AR triggers for the Explora app.
Pointing a phone at any plaque unlocks history, economic data, comparisons and photos for that municipality. Trivia, mini games, a magazine on food, museums and attractions, and an AR distance-and-direction calculator keep visitors coming back.
To draw younger visitors, Pixeldust added colorful interactive water fountains and LED arrays with customizable light patterns that keep the space fresh for future events. At night the fountains glow around the obelisk, and children love running through them.
The plaques sit on a circular array of small totems around the obelisk, one for each municipality, placed along the edge of the roundabout. Visitors walk the circle with their iOS or Android phones, and each trigger marker they find unlocks the next stage of the experience, along with history and data about that municipality.
As part of the work with the government of Nuevo León, Pixeldust also created the logos and visual identity for Explora Nuevo León, carrying one look across the app, the plaques and the totems so the whole experience feels like a single destination.
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