PixelFLEX brightens the Manhattan night
- Details
Wanting a dynamic visual display to be the focal point of the design, Rockrose Development called upon the team at VJVIT who installed an IP-65 rated FLEXStorm LED video display from PixelFLEX.
“We have done other technology related work Rockrose Development in the past, but this was our first time creating an outdoor LED video display,” began Victor Perez, VJVIT COO. “The property had a high-end client moving into the top two floors of the building, and they wanted to create an exciting rooftop deck for them as well. As part of the build-out, the elevator was to be extended to open onto the roof, so the mechanical room had to be extended, which in turn provided a large brick wall that was perfect for the installation of the FLEXStorm LED video display.”
Designed specifically to overcome the challenges associated with traditional outdoor LED video displays, FLEXStorm from PixelFLEX utilises an intelligent, auto-correcting light sensor control system to ensure the perfect brightness at all hours of the day. With its safe and reliable IP65-rated connections, FLEXStorm can weather the environment, and is available in a variety of custom sizes, resolutions and configurations.
“In one of the project renderings, the architect had shown a projection system throwing an image on the exterior wall,” continued Perez. “In discussing with them the plausibility of an outdoor projector, we outlined the lighting challenges and the need for the system to be completely weatherproof. Once we showed them that we could create a greater impact with an outdoor LED video screen, they loved the idea.”
“During the design phase, there were a lot of questions about how we would actually mount the screen on the exterior brick wall,” explained Perez. “In the end, we designed a steel structure that was welded directly onto the building sub-structure during the extension of the elevator mechanical room, before the brick was put in place. The steel structure is very similar to what one might use to mount a large TV in their home, and this allowed us to then assemble the individual FLEXStorm LED tiles into the larger display. We then created an enclosure that goes from the sides of the screen, to the brick wall, which masks the supporting steel structure and gives us the flush-mount look we wanted.”
Ready to finalise the control system behind the design, VJVIT wanted to create an even more dynamic experience by tying together elements of custom audio with the LED video. By developing a series of control points and output options, the rooftop deck is now able to accommodate a variety events, or a quiet evening alone.
“The controls of the rooftop experience are driven by a Crestron control system with two touch panels in different locations that allow them to control both the LED display and the audio system as well,” explained Perez. “The sound system is then broken up into various zones, so you can have individual control in certain areas, plus you also have the ability to connect a laptop either wirelessly or through hard-wired inputs located throughout the deck. Additionally, if they simply want to show a movie, there is a Blu-ray player connected as well, so the complete system gives the property owners a tremendous amount of flexibility when hosting an event or enjoying the rooftop in private.”
(Jim Evans)
