Imagine stepping into a room where ancient aqueducts meet cityscapes conjured by generative AI, where stone roads lead to high-speed rail networks that emerge from a sea of data on a massive digital screen with just a few keystrokes. That’s the vision Bentley Systems’ iLab conjured with its Immersive Infrastructure Experience: From Aqueducts to AI. Part history lesson, part futuristic vision, the exhibit was the highlight of Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards in Vancouver this October.
Greg Demchak, Bentley’s vice president for emerging technologies, called the iLab “a time machine for infrastructure.” Guests began their journey thousands of years ago, marveling at the ingenuity of ancient bridges and roads, before being whisked to the present and future. Here, Bentley illustrated how advanced visualization tools—powered by video game technology, Google geospatial data, and Cesium’s 3D Tiles—are revolutionizing engineering, design, construction, and infrastructure management.
This visualization technology, unveiled at the Vancouver event, merges real-time renderings with geospatial information, engineering details, and other data to give users a fully interactive view of their projects. “When people see what’s possible, they’re floored,” says Demchak, as he toggles between underground utilities and panoramic cityscapes. “This is the future of infrastructure design—connected, real-time, interactive, and immersive.”
Yael Maguire, Google’s VP and general manager for Geo Sustainability, said advanced visualizations can “transform workflows for architects, engineers, and urban planners. We can’t wait to see what the Bentley user community will do with this rich information.”
One of the exhibit’s most memorable features was a hands-on experience that felt like a high-tech playground. It invited visitors to prompt a generative AI engine—imagine a neoclassical café made of concrete or a steampunk metropolis—while the AI rendered it instantly on a giant screen. Nearby, another generative AI solution let visitors reconfigure cityscapes in real time with wooden blocks, toys, water bottles, and other props. “This isn’t just about aesthetics,” Demchak explains. “It’s about rethinking the creative process. Imagine crumpling a piece of paper, and an AI instantly transforms it into a 3D immersive design.”
The iLab journey culminated in a reimagined version of New York’s High Line, where immersive screens and soundscapes transported visitors to a digitally enhanced vision of the popular park. The experience hinted at what’s possible: soon, live weather data, flood simulations, carbon tracking, and more could be seamlessly integrated into infrastructure visualizations.
With advanced visualization tools available to early-access users now and a broader release planned for 2025, Bentley’s iLab isn’t just a glimpse of the future—it’s a call to reimagine what infrastructure can be.
