Metaverse of Simpson’s Victory City Reconstruct & Reimaging of Orville Simpson’s Vision of Urban Futures using AI
Ming Tang. $4500. Supported by SAID Simpson Urban Futures Grant Program. UC. 8. 2026-8. 2027
This project works on the AI-creation of an online Metaverse by reconstructing and reimaging Orville Simpson’s visionary “Victory City.” Using archival materials from the Simpson Collection—including drawings, paintings, and manuscripts—the project will generate digital interpretations of Simpson’s future city through AI-assisted visualization and 3D modeling. The platform will allow users to explore a multiplayer virtual city accessible through web browsers, mobile devices, and VR headsets. In addition to a virtual reconstruction of Victory City, the project will include a digital gallery presenting Simpson’s archival works and a digital installation at the Simpson Center, reintroducing Simpson’s ideas as a contemporary dialogue on sustainable urban futures.
The goal of this project is to translate Simpson’s visionary urban concepts into an interactive 3D digital environment that allows the public to experience and interpret his ideas spatially. Although Simpson’s online archive contains extensive drawings and models, these materials remain largely static. This project transforms them into an immersive platform where users can explore the spatial logic of Victory City. The project emphasis:
- AI-assisted visualization: generative AI tools will be used to produce architectural imagery, animations, and 3D models inspired by Simpson’s designs.
- Construction of a Metaverse environment: a browser-based immersive environment will be developed to represent major elements of Victory City, including the central 102-story tower and the larger metropolitan system described in Simpson’s writings.
