While the entirety of Denver’s Wells Fargo Center may have just completed a three-year renovation process, it is the 86-foot floor-to-ceiling digital installation in the lobby that is getting all the attention. Five thin LED columns with screen resolutions that are six times that of normal HD are bringing life to the previously somber lobby of the building originally designed by Philip Johnson.
The five screens, when viewed together, create one cohesive canvas that alternates between artistic and conceptual images such as colorful swirling ink drops or realistic depictions of the surrounding Colorado landscape. A grove of trees rises 86-feet into the air and slowly sways in the breeze, changing with the time of day and the time of season; a flock of birds, animated in real-time, can fly across the screens for hours and never repeat the same flight pattern; and mountainscapes created from thousands of Instagram photos provide different viewing experiences depending on your proximity to the screens. The installation can serve a practical purpose, as well, such as displaying the five-day weather outlook.
The main goal was for the screens to feel like a giant window to the outside, according to Ed Purver, Senior Immersive Designer at ESI Design. The installation is visible from outside through the glass atrium and is quickly becoming a new tourist attraction in the city of Denver.
The lobby also underwent changes to make it more modern, social, and comfortable. New works of art, commissioned specifically for the site, furniture, and lighting were added in an effort to keep the original Philip Johnson aesthetic alive while giving the space a more modern feel.
You can view images of the display and a video below.
Photo Courtesy of ESI Design
Photo Courtesy of ESI Design
Photo Courtesy of ESI Design
Wells Fargo Center, Denver, by ESI Design from ESI Design on Vimeo.
Related Stories
| Dec 8, 2011
HDR opens office in Shanghai
The office, located in the Chong Hing Finance Center in Shanghai’s busy Huangpu District, will support HDR’s design efforts throughout Asia.
| Dec 8, 2011
HOK elevates the green office standard
Firm achieves LEED Platinum certification in New York office that overlooks Bryant Park.
| Dec 6, 2011
?ThyssenKrupp acquires Sterling Elevators Services
The acquisition of Sterling Elevator Services Corporation is the third acquisition completed by ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG in the last three months in North America.
| Dec 6, 2011
New office building features largest solar panel system in New Orleans
Woodward Design+Build celebrates grand opening of new green headquarters in Central City.
| Dec 5, 2011
Gables Residential brings mixed-use building to Houston's Tanglewood area
The design integrates a detailed brick and masonry facade, acknowledging the soft pastel color palette of the surrounding Mediterranean heritage of Tanglewood.
| Dec 5, 2011
SchenkelShultz Architecture designs Dr. Phillips Charities Headquarters building in Orlando
The building incorporates sustainable architectural features, environmentally friendly building products, energy-efficient systems, and environmentally-sensitive construction practices.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 1, 2011
VLK Architects’ office receives LEED certification
The West 7th development, which houses the firm’s office, was designed to be LEED for Core & Shell, which gave VLK the head start on finishing out the area for LEED Silver Certification CI.
| Nov 22, 2011
Corporate America adopting revolutionary technology
The survey also found that by 2015, the standard of square feet allocated per employee is expected to drop from 200 to estimates ranging from 50 to 100 square feet per person dependent upon the industry sector.
| Nov 18, 2011
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability opens
Designed to exceed LEED Platinum, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) is one of the most innovative and high performance buildings in North America today, demonstrating leading-edge green building design products, technologies, and systems.
