Featuring nearly 5 million LEDs installed on 1,700 square feet of wall, the Diversified team answered the call for creativity – designing the 80’ by 13’ interactive media wall to respond to the movement of people passing through the area. Fifteen ceilingmounted, thermal-imaging cameras capture occupant presence and movement within 20 feet of the wall, showcasing images of DC’s cherry trees across the seasons.
Gentle breezes give way to a flurry of petals as a body is detected. At times the scene is a burst of fireworks or an animation of the city’s iconic statuary, architecture or scenery.
Rather than projected imagery, this video wall diffusion fabric, with its 2,900 LEDs per square foot, is distinctly different from interactive installations commonly found in shopping malls or museums. The diodes, just 5ML in diameter, are installed behind an acrylic diffusion layer and are ventilated through an air cavity to keep them cool and operating efficiently. Planar Clarity Matrix LCDs are also featured in the installation, all of which are clearly visible from the street. Audio also plays a key role in the project as ambient sounds of nature, the city and music enhance the experience. The audio components include Clark Synthesis audio transducers that are cleverly concealed in walls, solid drive transducers mounted to the ceiling and four ceiling mounted Tannoy speakers for non-directional sound.
Once the site of a lunch counter protest against segregation in the 1950s, the lobby of Terrell Place is now covered with motion-activated media that brings the space to life. The lobby is now a living, breathing (literally) work of art.
