Lounges are persistent immersive spaces that act as digital third places, drawing on Ray Oldenburg’s principles from The Great Good Place. They offer welcoming, always-on environments where audiences can gather, explore, and connect with storyworlds across mobile, web, and VR.

What Lounges Enable:

• A neutral social space that encourages informal community and repeat visits.
• Ongoing extensions of a storyworld beyond a single experience.
• Narrative ambience combined with lightweight social play.
• Multi-platform access that lowers barriers to participation.
• A discovery pathway into immersive extensions and long-form content.

Our first Lounge – Introducing…

The Obscura Society

Designed as a living, digital space, The Obscura Society is always on. Guests can drop in from anywhere, at any time, to meet others, share discoveries and take part in unfolding stories, whether they’re visiting through a mobile device, personal computer or VR headset.

At the heart of The Obscura Society is an AI bartender who welcomes every guest.  Share the surprising stories and learn about the cultural origins behind them, all drawn from our partner, Atlas Obscura’s, vast archive of curiosities.

Surrounding visitors of the world is a richly layered space inspired by real places across the globe. Photographs from Atlas Obscura contributors line the walls, while an interactive world map gives you access to the full Atlas Obscura database. From here, portals open into the complete Atlas Obscura VR app, along with pathways to books, articles and other Atlas Obscura experiences.

Step in today –  www.TheObscuraSociety.com or check out the trailer on YouTube.

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for more info on the release and read more about it at The Verge.

Contact us

New Canvas is a founding member of the Byron Bay XR Collective and honours Australia’s First Nations Peoples; acknowledging the Arakwal, the traditional custodians of the Bundjalung Country, on which New Canvas was founded and the place we continue to foster a shared sense of belonging for all Australians.