Virtual Pūrākau: Co-designing Adaptive Cinematic VR for Culturally Responsive Landscape Interpretation at Te Rau Aroha

Authors

  • Kris Tong Postdoctoral Researcher, Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ), University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1275-4948

Keywords:

cinematic virtual reality, CVR, landscape interpretation, cultural landscapes, digital storytelling, Māori heritage, co-design

Abstract

Landscapes hold cultural narratives, but conventional static interpretation struggles to communicate them. This research explored adaptive cinematic virtual reality (CVR) as a spatial storytelling tool, developed with kaikōrero (Māori storytellers) at Te Rau Aroha marae in Motupōhue Bluff, Aotearoa New Zealand. The results show that immersive storytelling must move beyond a one-size-fits-all model. By identifying viewer personas and adapting the narrative to them, CVR can support culturally responsive interpretation that respects place-based Indigenous knowledge. Immersive media should therefore be treated not as a technical tool but as a platform for communicating landscape narratives. For landscape architecture, adaptive digital storytelling offers a complementary and non-extractive method of interpretation. It also opens new options for community consultation, site interpretation and stakeholder engagement in the public realm.

 

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Published

01-10-2026

How to Cite

Tong, K. (2026). Virtual Pūrākau: Co-designing Adaptive Cinematic VR for Culturally Responsive Landscape Interpretation at Te Rau Aroha. Landscape Review, 22(2), 12–20. Retrieved from https://journals.lincoln.ac.nz/index.php/lr/article/view/1381

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 2 (2026): Visual Representation and Simulation

Section

Research-Informed Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Kris Tong

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