GT Experience brings the thrill and tension of circuit driving into sim racing through an immersive spatial enclosure. A modular pair of large scale 3D printed side panels shapes peripheral vision to deepen focus while staying open for home play and esports venues. Its sculptural form transforms visible layer lines into premium surface language, turning a manufacturing limitation into design identity. Lightweight elastomer modules improve safety, quick assembly, transportability, and compact storage.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- GT Experience is a modular pair of large-scale 3D-printed side panels that transforms a simulator frame or sofa into an immersive gaming enclosure for home use, esports venues, and staged events. Its sculptural form visualizes the build-up of motorsport tension through rising elements reminiscent of a tachometer graph and neural transmission. Instead of hiding the layer marks usually associated with additive manufacturing, the design turns them into a premium surface language. Soft elastomer improves impact safety, while lightweight segmented construction enables transport, quick assembly, and compact storage.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Material: elastomer, matte black coating. Per side panel: 1800 x 1350 x 150 mm, weight 15 kg.
- Tags
- 3D Printing, Sim Racing, Immersive Space, Gaming Enclosure, Motorsport, Peripheral Vision, Layer Texture, Elastomer, Large Format Additive, DfAM
- Production Technology
- Produced in Japan using domestic large-format additive manufacturing and elastomer-based material, the project was conceived as both a design proposal and a real-scale validation of large-format 3D printing. The modules were designed for practical transport, assembly, disassembly, and storage while preserving the expressive value of printed layer marks with minimal finishing. Retired parts can be shredded and reused as feedstock in compatible recycling-oriented workflows, reducing waste and supporting broader additive manufacturing applications.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to create a structure that felt visually powerful while remaining feasible for compact interiors and event use. It needed to be divided into lightweight printable modules that could pass through doors, be transported efficiently, assembled quickly, and stored compactly. Another challenge was to achieve a strong visual identity without relying on excessive finishing, allowing the manufacturing process itself to remain visible as part of the final expression.
- Project Duration
- The project started in Summer 2021 in Aichi and Tokyo, and the concept model was completed and announced in April 2022 in Japan.
- Operation Flow
- The printed modules are assembled into two side structures and placed around a simulator frame or seating. The panels create a tunnel-like atmosphere that supports concentration without fully enclosing the user. In homes, the system enhances immersion while remaining compact and open. In tournaments or exhibitions, it functions as a lightweight stage element that can quickly transform an ordinary play area into a dramatic experiential zone.
- Research
- This project is an applied design study on how spatial enclosure can support concentration in sim racing while validating large-format additive manufacturing at practical scale. The process included CAD development, mockups, full-scale printing, fit checks with simulator frames, transport tests, assembly trials, and safety review. The outcome demonstrated that large-format printed modules could function as both immersive spatial elements and feasible design components for real-world installation. The project may also have encouraged further experimentation by younger local creators who later encountered this fabrication environment.
- Inspiration
- GT Experience was inspired by the emotional state of circuit driving: rising tension, sharpened concentration, and the feeling that the driver's senses are directly connected to the machine. Rather than designing only a simulator frame, the project explored how this psychological intensity could be translated into space itself. The aim was to create an environment that makes sim racing feel more focused, dramatic, and physically engaging.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Chikara Kitabatake, GT Experience, 2022.
Image #2: Photographer Chikara Kitabatake, GT Experience, 2022.
Image #3: Photographer Chikara Kitabatake, GT Experience, 2022.
Image #4: Photographer Chikara Kitabatake, GT Experience, 2022.
Image #5: Creator Kenichi Mizuno, GT Experience, 2022.
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