Client: AT&T, Beck Group

Overview

The 104′ tall by 84′ wide Media Wall is a focal point of the AT&T Discovery District and features a resolution sufficient for two 4K displays stacked on top of each other with room to spare for a digital marquee. It employs a 6.67 mm pixel pitch at a resolution of 4,752 pixels high by 3,840 pixels wide, giving it a total of 18.2 million pixels. At 8,730 square feet, it is one of the largest 6.67 mm pixel pitch displays in the United States. An identifying feature is the tight radius used to wrap around the building’s corner. Rather than using 90-degree angles, the massive LED screen employs a very tight 5’4″ radius to allow content to flow around the northwest corner of the building without interruption. The Media Wall is custom built from SNA Displays’ EMPIRE™ Exterior line of display products, designed for large-scale LED spectaculars.

Goals

AT&T’s goal was to create a place of authentic connection and exploration that leverages custom art, light, sound and technology for an endless array of immersive experiences. They wanted to create a place of connection and innovation for both employees and the public. The design firm and other collaborators transformed a traditional corporate campus into a world-class entertainment, dining, and retail destination.
To enhance The Media Wall and other LED-powered features in The District, AT&T, Gensler, Moment Factory, and other creators worked together to produce a variety of narrative, ambient, and dynamic digital content. Supported by a custom digital management system, the content honors and reflects AT&T’s brand and strategy. A growing collection of custom designed art creates a curated 24-hour run of show that sets the right mood and energy level based on time of day and plaza activities. The District also acts as a dynamic landmark – creating both a cultural contribution to the urban landscape in downtown Dallas and draw local and global visitors.

Process

The architecture and digital experience team designed a unique architectural concept that blurs the boundaries between the physical and digital realms. The District features a matrix of fully connected digital platforms, seamlessly integrated into the buildings and the plaza, that offer all-encompassing take-over moments of lighting, audio and creative media content. The art and content development teams were tasked with designing the most advanced and large-scale public art project from the worlds of technology, business, communications, and entertainment, while exploring wide-ranging ways humans interact with technology and artificial intelligence. By proposing a public artwork, the team responded to the aesthetic and ethical challenges of representing diversity and interconnectivity, which is prominently displayed on the Media Wall.
The vast scope of work on The District ranged from initial experience strategy and space planning to concept development, content strategy, physical design, interior design, brand design, signage and wayfinding, digital content production and management of all creative partners who ultimately contributed to the asset library featured in the ongoing run of show.

Additional Information

The District is a multi-sensory experience that has a fully integrated digital display and lighting system. When activated, it creates a “Bellagio-style” effect that combines sound, light, and stunning artistic content. Moment Factory also leveraged the UNREAL real-time video engine. Furthermore, The District was built with sustainability in mind, earning it a SITES Silver Certification. *Copy produced in collaboration with Gensler. Winner: Urban Design Award (GDPC), Best Mixed-Use Project (D Magazine), Best Corporate/Hospitality (DailyDOOH Gala)