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
Giants 400 | Aug 8, 2019
Top 200 Office Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
Gensler, AECOM, Perkins+Will, Stantec, and HOK top the rankings of the nation's largest office sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 8, 2019
2019 Office Giants Report: Demand for exceptional workplaces will keep the office construction market strong
Office space consolidation and workplace upgrades will keep project teams busy, according to BD+C's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Office Buildings | Jul 12, 2019
How Millennials, Gen Z, and technology are changing workplace design
In the workplace, the only constant is change.
Office Buildings | Jul 11, 2019
Designing successful workplaces for an unknown future
The traditional model of signing long-term leases, committing extensive capital to an inflexible solution, and then calling it a day is no longer viable.
Office Buildings | Jul 5, 2019
This will become the tallest shipping container building in the world
Patalab is designing the building.
Design Innovation Report | Jun 25, 2019
2019 Design Innovation Report: Super labs, dream cabins, office boardwalks, façades as art
9 projects that push the limits of architectural design, space planning, and material innovation.
Office Buildings | May 29, 2019
Smart buildings can optimize wellness
Employees want wellness initiatives built into their work experience, especially when they’re in spaces that can leave them feeling stiff, stressed, and sick.
Office Buildings | May 29, 2019
HQ2 in cue: Amazon’s Arlington, Va., headquarters has energy-efficient design
With more than two million sf of LEED-certified office space planned, Amazon's new designs for its second headquarters in Arlington, VA, also will have green space, a one-acre park, and bicycle and public transportation access.
Sustainability | May 28, 2019
Carrier’s world headquarters in Florida goes green
The structure is the first commercial building in Florida to achieve LEED Platinum v4 Certification.
Office Buildings | May 14, 2019
Sail on, Royal Caribbean: HOK-designed headquarters celebrates cruise ship industry
The building’s design is inspired by the design of its fleet of cruise ships—with flowing lines.
