The BBBL3 is part of a growing cultural shift toward calm, sensory engagement and emotional well-being, especially in overstimulating urban environments. What is the BBBL3, you ask?
Created by HKS in collaboration with ROAM Interior Design, BBBL3, put simply, reconceptualizes how we utilize public communal spaces in urban environments. The project uses AI not for spectacle but as a quiet, adaptive tool that allows guests to customize their surroundings in real time, selecting between its three core environments — Evoke, Dreamscape and Happening to immerse guests in a calming respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. In our conversation with ROAM, we explore how the team used spatial fluidity and technology to offer an alternative to more rigid models of public space. Staying true to their name and catchphrase, the BBBL3 is a destination that inspires the “desire to roam.”
Designing for wonder in overstimulated environments
DNN: The BBBL3 is described as a space where “every moment sparks wonder.” How did you choreograph those moments from a design perspective? How is The BBBL3 a response to a global culture increasingly seeking meaning, restoration, and imaginative escape?
ROAM: When approaching the design of The BBBL3, we intentionally choreographed moments that would provoke awe and introspective – qualities increasingly rare in our overstimulated urban environments. We let nature and imagination guide the aesthetic, merging organic form with responsive technology to offer each person a personalized journey at their own pace.
As cities grow, we saw an opportunity to create community and pause. Acting as a modern-day sanctuary, The BBBL3 is a kinetic dreamscape that responds to our collective desire for connection and wonder.
Fluidity in space and experience
DNN: How did the idea of “fluidity,” both spatial and conceptual, influence the way you approached form, materiality and narrative flow?
ROAM: The idea of fluidity played a large role in inspiring The BBBL3 – from the inspiration of bubbles and droplets to the user’s movement through the space. The absence of harsh edges and the emphasis on flowing paths help cultivate a sense of ease and openness. Conceptually, this fluidity supports the idea that each guest’s experience is their own to shape.
How the BBBL3 engages all five senses
DNN: The experience of BBBL3 engages all five senses. How did you approach sensory integration, especially scent and sound?
ROAM: We approached the five senses as a means of deepening emotional resonance. Scent and sound are powerful in the way they trigger memory, emotion and a sense of place. Within BBBL3, soundscapes and various senses are thoughtfully layered to support immersion and reflection. The use of sound creates atmosphere and movement while scent supports the broader sensory arc of each space. Additionally, visual elements and tactile experiences engage the other senses.
Narrative-driven interiors for dining and wellness
DNN: With culinary storytelling in Evoke and wellness rituals in Dreamscape and Happening, how did you design interiors that support and elevate those narrative arcs?
ROAM: Each of the core spaces was designed to express its own narrative while maintaining cohesion across the overarching experience. Our team kept this as a guiding principle when conceptualizing the design of the spaces.
In Evoke, the design elevates culinary exploration through an atmospheric dining experience. Responding to each location’s unique context, no two Evoke spaces are identical, but all emphasize a personalized encounter with exceptional food and ambience.
Dreamscape centers around restoration, encouraging guests to slow down and sink into comfort. With immersive and serene interiors, its design fosters presence.
Happening, on the other hand, leans into movement and ritual, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior to promote physical and emotional renewal. With the freedom to choose a zen, the experience can be customized to suit individual preferences and recharges the mind, body, and soul.
The role of stillness and silence in experiential design
DNN: What role does silence, texture and stillness play in a project designed to stimulate imagination and introspection?
ROAM: Stillness and silence are at the heart of introspection, and we treated them as design elements in their own right. In a world that is often overstimulated and rife with distractions, creating those moments of silence is deeply powerful.
Cultural influences and creating a sense of journey
DNN: In designing a space that welcomes “dreamers and explorers,” what cultural or artistic references guided your aesthetic decisions? And how did you embed a sense of journey into this project?
ROAM: We were inspired by the shared human impulse to explore. The sense of journey is embedded not only in the physical navigation of the space, but in how guests engage with its layered elements.
The BBBL3 is a dynamic environment that encourages movement, curiosity and discovery. From sculptural and innovative wayfinding elements to immersive zones with distinct moods and meanings, we want each guest to feel like they are on a personal voyage.
Integrating AI into physical spaces
DNN: Talk to me about the relationship between physical design and digital technology. How did you ensure the integration of AI felt poetic rather than clinical?
ROAM: The use of technology in the BBBL3 is collaborative. We integrated AI in a way that prioritizes emotional resonance, allowing guests to shape their surroundings intuitively, without needing to understand the mechanics behind it. The structure’s interior is equipped with LED screen panels and responsive systems that adapt to the guest’s preferences in real time. It’s deeply advanced, but it never feels sterile.
Role of the inhabitant as co-creator
DNN: How does the interplay between technology and space-making shift the role of the designer from creator to collaborator with the user’s own narrative?
ROAM: As designers, we laid the foundation, but it’s the guest who completes the experience. Because the BBBL3 responds to individual input – mood, intention, and even curiosity – every person who enters becomes a co-author of their own environment. We create the conditions; the guest brings it to life.
A model for green, human-centered urban futures
DNN: Lastly, how do you see this project influencing how cities incorporate green, human-centric cultural spaces into dense urban environments?
ROAM: The project represents a new approach to urban space. It transforms overlooked or underutilized sites into vibrant, people-focused environments. Through its modular structure, integration of renewable energy, and commitment to ecological and emotional wellness, it models what human-centric design can look like at the heart of our cities. The idea is that these kinds of experiences shouldn’t be luxuries, they should be fundamental to how we shape the future of our urban lives.
