Project Two- The Elegy of Lyceum

In this interdisciplinary group project, we were tasked with digitally reinterpreting a historical building located in the Rockbund area of Shanghai. Our team chose the Lyceum Building (兰心大楼), a culturally significant structure that has housed the famed Lyceum Theatre since the early 20th century. Rather than presenting a static historical reconstruction, we developed an interactive narrative experience that blends history and fiction through the lens of mixed reality.

To bring the building’s legacy to life, we created an original story centered on a fictional female protagonist named Lan Xin (蓝欣) , a name that echoes the Chinese pronunciation of “Lyceum.” Her life and mysterious fate are intricately intertwined with the theatre’s own evolution across decades, mirroring the political, artistic, and emotional upheavals that the building has witnessed. Through this character, players explore a series of events spanning past and present, unraveling historical details through immersive interactions.

I contributed across multiple aspects of the project:

Co-developed the narrative structure and script, working closely with teammates to ensure historical elements were thoughtfully woven into the fictional storyline.

Designed the user experience flow, mapping out interactions and scene transitions to guide players through an emotionally engaging and intuitive journey.

Participated in building the interactive prototype in Unity, implementing environmental triggers, timeline sequences, and basic UI/UX components for narrative progression.

Actively collaborated in team communication and agile iteration, which strengthened my skills in coordination, openness to feedback, and proactive problem solving.

This project deepened my understanding of how mixed reality technologies can support cultural storytelling beyond static documentation. It also reinforced my belief in the power of narrative design as a bridge between user engagement and historical education.