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
Sponsored | | Oct 13, 2014
CLT, glulam deliver strength, low profile, and aesthetics for B.C. office building
When he set out to design his company’s new headquarters building on Lakeshore Road in scenic Kelowna, B.C., Tim McLennan of Faction Projects knew quickly that cross-laminated timber was an ideal material.
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Oct 9, 2014
Regulations, demand will accelerate revenue from zero energy buildings, according to study
A new study by Navigant Research projects that public- and private-sector efforts to lower the carbon footprint of new and renovated commercial and residential structures will boost the annual revenue generated by commercial and residential zero energy buildings over the next 20 years by 122.5%, to $1.4 trillion.
Sponsored | | Oct 7, 2014
Boost efficiency with advanced framing
As architects continue to search for ways to improve building efficiencies, more and more are turning to advanced framing methods, particularly for multifamily and light commercial projects.
| Oct 6, 2014
Houston's office construction is soaring
Houston has 19 million square feet of office space under construction, 54% more than a year ago, and its highest level since the booming 1980s, according to local news reports.
| Oct 2, 2014
Budget busters: Report details 24 of the world's most obscenely over-budget construction projects
Montreal's Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Opera House are among the landmark projects to bust their budgets, according to a new interactive graph by Podio.
| Sep 30, 2014
With its 'stacked volumes' scheme, 3XN wins bid to design high-rise in Sydney
By dividing the 200-meter building into five separate volumes and placing atria throughout each volume, the spaces become smaller, more intimate social environments, according to the Danish architects.
Sponsored | | Sep 25, 2014
Architects transform warehouse into office space while preserving its historic nature
When it came time for CSHQA, an award-winning, full-service architecture and engineering firm, to move office locations, they didn’t need to look far. The 20,000-square-foot warehouse was not only a mere three blocks away, its renovation would be an ideal demonstration piece to show existing and potential clients.
| Sep 25, 2014
Look to history warily when gauging where the construction industry may be headed
Precedents and patterns may not tell you all that much about future spending or demand.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.