Utilization of Digital Immersive Spaces in the Interior Design of Public Spaces in Indonesia: Benefits, Challenges, and Implementation Strategies

Abstract

Digital transformation expands the role of interior design from the arrangement of physical elements to the design of responsive, narrative, and participatory spatial experiences. This literature-review article examines the use of digital immersive spaces, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), interactive projection, 360-degree video mapping, and digital installations in Indonesian public interior settings. A narrative-critical review of scholarly publications and institutional documents, primarily from 2019–2026, is undertaken with attention to museums, cultural galleries, commercial spaces, and educational environments. The synthesis shows that immersive spaces can enhance psychological presence, visitor engagement, narrative comprehension, atmosphere and scale visualization, curatorial flexibility, and opportunities for cultural preservation and interpretation. These benefits, however, do not arise automatically from adding digital devices. Experience quality depends on the fit between content and spatial context, interaction flow, sensory comfort, accessibility, safety, data privacy, operational capacity, and the sustainability of device life cycles. Indonesian examples demonstrate different implementation models: the National Museum’s ImersifA employs 360-degree video mapping for historical and cultural storytelling; Galeri Indonesia Kaya uses interactive digital panels for cultural education; and the Sangiran Museum integrates touchscreen media and video mapping in geological interpretation. This article proposes an “experience-, place-, and governance-centred” implementation framework that treats technology as a medium rather than an end. It includes public-goal definition, user and sensory mapping, multimodal narrative development, prototyping and evaluation, universal design, data governance, and an operations-and-maintenance plan. Through such an approach, immersive digital spaces can enrich Indonesian public interiors in an inclusive, meaningful, and sustainable manner.