Video walls are an increasingly popular treatment of lobby areas in commercial and residential buildings in urban centers. New York-based RedStraw is one of the creative media content agencies at the forefront of this trend, supporting designers, contractors and building owners by offering them new ways to use the latest video technology to liven up these heavily trafficked areas.
“Building lobbies are typically the first interior impression of anyone who works, lives or shops in large, mixed-use buildings, so it’s important to make a favorable, lasting impression,” said Lisa Smith, CEO at RedStraw. “Particularly in Manhattan, space comes at a premium and one of our primary objectives is to find the best technology capable of pushing the rich media content we create into these environments. It’s amazing to see how video adds so much color, brightness and visual interest – it really helps to open up and enhance the space, and also creates a visually pleasing experience for people to enjoy.”
RedStraw partnered with Elevecture, a New York City-based company that laminates Gorilla Glass to a variety of materials such as metals, woods and even fabric to create products such as panels for elevator interiors and lobbies. Elevecture’s panels were recently installed in a pair of buildings in New York City’s chic SoHo neighborhood – 740 Broadway and 10 Astor Place. In both cases, displays are placed throughout the common areas to freshen up the spaces and make them appear larger than life.
The 740 Broadway property features 42 55-inch Planar displays arranged in columns extending vertically to the ceiling. The display columns are separated by Gorilla Glass-laminated rectangular panels, creating a striking zebra-like effect. Each column of displays mirrors the arrangement of ceiling-mounted light panels, creating geometric balance that accentuates the lobby’s modern design. RedStraw produced a striking 6K video montage that immerses visitors in exotic, relaxing scenes that all but erase the concrete jungle of New York City looming beyond the lobby doors. RedStraw selected BrightSign’s HD media players to distribute and manage video content for the project, particularly for the players’ ability to deliver frame-accurate synchronization across all 42 displays. And while most displays feature the soothing scenes, a subset of displays is used to present the building directory and other informative content.
The 10 Astor Place property is similar in design, but on a smaller scale and plays off the lobby’s horizontal lines versus the height found in the lobby at 740 Broadway. Eight 46-inch Planar displays create a ribbon-like wrap around two walls of the lobby, while video content produced by RedStraw creates a welcoming environment for guests and tenants.
In both instances, RedStraw expanded the traditional video wall concept to create impressive arrays of displays strategically placed to take advantage of the rooms’ unique layouts. Eye-catching video content complements the hardware layout to create a visual display that’s as artistic as it is informative.
