RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios incorporates fun into building design

RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios building is filled with references to film and animation, games and pop culture. Here are a few examples:

Exterior:

• Orange terracotta panels are meant to appear as an abstract digital pixilation.
• Exterior canopy column angles are inspired by ramps from the original Donkey Kong video game.
• Adjacent to the date stone, a subtle pattern in the brick can be found that resembles the game Breakout.
• ‘STAGE 1’ sign, lighting, entry door and stairs are designed to resemble the ‘back lot’ of a Hollywood film studio.

Interior:

• Glass at the drinking fountains has a reference to the classic video game Tetris. The light blue tiles fade to darker blue tiles and are broken up by Tetris-inspired shapes.
• Center stair handrail brackets are ocarinas (musical instruments) from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
• Large graphics on the sound stage doors identify “east and west stage” when the operable partition is closed. The ‘E’ and ‘W’ are designed to look like an old-fashioned movie countdown.
• The MAGIC Spell Studios reception desk on the third floor is inspired by a magic spell book, complete with a leather-bound cover and ‘glowing’ pages.
• Restrooms’ accent walls are inspired by the original Nintendo console.
• Honeycomb-shaped carpet tiles in the MAGIC Spell Studios Innovation Suite are inspired by the environment in the RIT-produced video game Hack, Slash and Backstab
• The shapes of the lights hovering above the collaboration table on the upper level are inspired by PlayStation controllers.
• The chandelier in the stairwell is reminiscent of clouds found in Minecraft.