K-State Salina, Pure Imagination Labs break ground on new K-AIRES spatial computing facility
Friday, Aug. 30, 2024
K-State Salina and Pure Imagination Labs broke ground on the new K-AIRES facility. Pictured from left: Mitch Robinson, Salina Community Economic Development Organization; Kelly Dreyer, MultiStudio; Eric Woltje, McCown Gordon Construction; Joshua Wexler, Pure Imagination Labs; Joshua Jefferson, Kansas Department of Commerce; Richard Linton, Kansas State University president; and Alysia Starkey, Kansas State University Salina CEO and dean. | Download this photo.
SALINA — Kansas State University Salina and Pure Imagination Labs have broken ground on the Kansas Advanced Immersive Research for Emerging Systems, or K-AIRES, Center, a spatial computing and learning facility that will propel the state of Kansas to the forefront of the technology entertainment industry.
Announced last year, the $41 million, 47,500-square-foot K-AIRES Center will be a state-of-the-art studio and training space that will leverage immersive environments and provide learning and experiential opportunities to students that no other university does.
"The is not just construction on campus, this is the next step in creating a successful future for the K-State Salina and the Salina community," said Alysia Starkey, K-State Salina CEO and dean. "This facility and the collaborative partnerships that make it possible are a great example of what can happen when we come together with vision, purpose and determination."
As the first corporate partner to colocate on the Salina campus, Pure Imagination will bring entertainment work and careers to Kansas.
Pure Imagination Studios is an award-winning independent entertainment studio best known for combining proprietary technology with groundbreaking storytelling. The company develops original content and works with some of Hollywood's most recognized entertainment studios, including DreamWorks, FOX, The LEGO Group, Netflix, Marvel Entertainment and Warner Bros.
The new headquarters at the K-AIRES Center will be home to the Pure Imagination Labs, a branch of the company focused on expanding the horizons of technology and imagination.
"Spatial computing is revolutionizing the way we engage with our environment, seamlessly integrating the physical and digital realms," said Joshua Wexler, co-founder of Pure Imagination Studios. "Salina, Kansas, stood out to us because of its unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of technology. This groundbreaking technology will not only create a new art form and storytelling medium for entertainment but will also transform simulation, training and countless other industries."
The new K-AIRES Center is anticipated to open in 2026 and is being designed and constructed by the design-build partnership of McCownGordon Construction and Multistudio.
