An empowering workplace at the gateway of Hudson Yards

Creative applications of experiential technology showcase the firm’s brand, commitment to digital transformation and global network of professionals.

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INTRODUCTION

When one of the world’s largest professional services firms opened its new US headquarters, they wanted to establish a local connection with New York City while showcasing their global reach by creating a ‘Digital Experience’.

This project features a bespoke ‘Welcome Wall’, a panoramic curved video wall and an LED ceiling canvas that changes color tones with the weather. Ambient interactive LED staircase digital bands with tracking capability welcome, engage and inspire visitors and employees while LED video walls between elevator banks display daily messaging that alerts visitors and employees of events, the weather and local information. Over three floors, these activations celebrate the firm’s values and capability in digital transformation.

Electrosonic engineered, procured, tested, installed, commissioned and now supports the systems. By partnering with creative technologists Gensler, audiovisual consultants TAD and Turner Construction, we were able to bring the firm’s ambitious vision to life.

OVERVIEW

The Digital Experience spans multiple floors of the firm’s iconic new US headquarters. Elevator lobbies on multiple floors feature LED video walls behind a frosted diffusion material that display subtle welcoming messages.

Visitors entering the 17th floor, encounter an LED wall depicting events and places from the local area. A ‘Welcome Wall’ in the reception space greets visitors with a custom interactive LED video wall - an elegant architectural feature that has a unique ‘fanned’ shape and an ultra-fine pixel pitch of 1.25mm to make it an art piece, rather than a typical display. Proximity sensors trigger content and welcome visitors to their new headquarters with visual content that evolves throughout the day highlighting the global impact of the firm’s thought leadership.

Beginning on the 17th floor, a feature staircase spans multiple floors with bands of color. Ambient LEDs behind glass curve around the stair apertures to create an immersive experience where colors ebb and flow around visitors and multimedia content communicates the firm’s global activities. Integrated sensors trigger content changes when they detect movement, and the content follows the individual as they move between floors.

When VIP visitors reach the 48th floor, they are greeted by a ceiling LED display that glows like a skylight as if they’ve arrived in the clouds. This sets the scene for an inspirational largescale interactive curved panoramic video wall. This experiential brand touchpoint features high-quality visuals blended with marketing content that react subtly to the presence of visitors and showcase the firm’s local and global impact.

CHALLENGE

The firm’s vision was to create a ‘Digital Experience’ to demonstrate their expertise in digital transformation. This required the use of advanced technologies, sophisticated architectural integration and skilled support services to ensure complete reliability.

A specialist integrator was required to bring the vision to life, with such complex applications of LED technology and interactivity. The project had to be completed during a pandemic with the additional logistical challenges of working in one of the busiest new construction towers in Manhattan.

SOLUTION

Electrosonic provided the skills and experience to handle the level of complexity, collaboration and forward-thinking needed to integrate and support this advanced digital placemaking experience. In partnership with Gensler, TAD and DetaiLED Solutions, Electrosonic carried out detailed engineering, installation, commissioning, programming and training. To ensure the Digital Experience continued to operate effectively with the highest uptime, Electrosonic provided on-site support through its Affinity solution.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Electrosonic is the premier firm for the integration and support of experiential and immersive technologies like the Digital Experience.

The solution welcomes and empowers employees, partners and clients by engaging them with relevant information and mood-setting experiences that are only possible with audiovisual technology. The information connects employees and clients to the firm’s brand and impact around the world and positions them as a Global Leader ‘Building a better working world’.

Project Details

Partners

Gensler, TAD, Turner Construction

Location

New York City

Size

675,000 sq.ft

Services

Build & System Integration

Interactive & Static Technologies

Control System & Head End

Project Management

CAD & BIM Engineering

Procurement & Fabrication

Installation & Integration

Affinity Premier Service

Technology should only ever be used in support of story, and, in this case, it’s a celebration of global impact, building a better working environment and empowering employees with useful insights.

Erika Kulbach

Strategic Partner Manager, Electrosonic

Immersive Staircase Curved and diffused LED displays integrated into the staircase aperture immerse visitors in changing colors and dynamic digital content that follows them from floor to floor.

Responsive Messaging A large curved panoramic video wall provides an experiential brand showcase displaying corporate messages that invite VIP visitors to engage and learn about the reach of the firm and its people.

Brand Impact A complex fan-shaped video ‘Welcome Wall’ greets visitors to the 17th floor with branded content that is triggered by sensors and evolves with the rhythm of the working day.