The metaverse gets real at Crosby Studios’ café

Paris – The Meta Café is a gallery and dining spot opened by creative practice Crosby Studios, which points to the ways that virtual realms will inspire physical spaces, products and experiences.

The month-long pop-up takes its inspiration from Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev’s forthcoming home decor video game, which will be launched in April on The Sandbox. Showcasing stools, tables and wall wraps, each objects in the physical space is inspired by the lo-fi, pixelated aesthetic of gaming. Translating online, players of Crosby Studios’ upcoming game will be able to build their own virtual interiors using digital versions of the same furniture and objects.

By uniting online and offline worlds in this way, Crosby Studios hints at the Hyperphysical future of stores and hospitality. ‘If there is nothing to do but buy or browse products, then you can do that online… Consumers want to make sure before they open a door into the next shop that they are going to feel safe and comfortable, just like they are in their own living room or favourite coffee shop,’ Nuriev tells Frame.