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
Office Buildings | Jul 17, 2018
Transwestern report: Office buildings near transit earn 65% higher lease rates
Analysis of 15 major metros shows the average rent in central business districts was $43.48/sf for transit-accessible buildings versus $26.01/sf for car-dependent buildings.
Office Buildings | Jun 18, 2018
Cube-shaped AmorePacific headquarters building completes construction in Seoul
The David Chipperfield Architects-designed project began in 2010.
Office Buildings | Jun 15, 2018
Portland’s newest office buildings put nature on center stage
Hacker Architects designed the space for Portland’s Frontside District.
Sustainability | Jun 13, 2018
Largest Passive House office building in the U.S. will be built in Chicago’s West Loop
Solomon Cordwell Buenz is designing the building.
Office Buildings | Jun 11, 2018
Online travel company moves to the 66th floor of the Empire State Building
The new headquarters includes almost 20,000 sf of additional space.
Office Buildings | Jun 6, 2018
Final Cut: Jupiter Entertainment’s new production studio in New York combines office and editing spaces
The project team completed this full-floor renovation in four months.
Office Buildings | May 31, 2018
EarthCam Headquarters features a 25-foot-tall video portal entrance
Watch a time-lapse of the HQ being built from groundbreaking to grand opening.
| May 30, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: T3 mass timber office buildings
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), architect and mass timber design expert Steve Cavanaugh tells the story behind the nation’s newest—and largest—mass timber building: T3 in Minneapolis.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
Office Buildings | May 22, 2018
AAA headquarters embodies a road trip atmosphere
HGA designed the space.
