Media Facades

Fed Square’s New Digital Experience Initiative

Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia, which is known globally for its urban screen program, has announced an upgrade of their iconic digital screen. The current digital screen will be replaced with a wall of interactive LED panels that complement the form of Fed Square’ s unique architecture. At the centre is a 5k resolution, high-definition event screen with a 6mm pitch, which ensures high-quality display from a distance.

From the official announcement:

The additional electricity required to power the screens has been factored into Fed Square’s overall environmental sustainability management plan and will not negatively affect the carbon neutrality of the city precinct.

There will also be a number of interactive touchscreens constructed and located throughout Fed Square.They are currently in the design phase.

The Digital Experience Initiative is a $5.4 million investment funded by Fed Square Pty Ltd. It will be driven by a program of user-generated content, commissioned artwork and community engagement, whilst retaining the capacity to broadcast live sport, current affairs and films.

The designer and collaborator is sound and light firm, Ramus (ramus.com.au), whose digital works range from rock concert lighting for U2 and David Bowie to public precinct redevelopment in several Australian capital cities.

The free on-site Wi-Fi will be dramatically improved as part of the initiative, which will help enable real-time, user-generated content and interaction with the screens.

The construction of the new screens will commence in October 2017 and are expected to be finished in late April 2018.

One Ocean, Yeosu

7 Although movement is intrinsic to any media façade, architecture usually just provides the stable, immobile screen for digital motion. By facilitating actual movement, the kinetic façade exemplifies architecture as a medium in itself and creates a choreography of dynamic patterns. The moving façade that is seamlessly integrated into the building’s skin was developed together with Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering during the planning phases. (more…)

Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai

5 A radical design in both architecture and lighting. The iconic double-looped shape, a spiralling exhibition space, biking lanes, a pool of water with the famous Little Mermaid, and a beautiful dynamic illumination of both inner spaces and outer façades. During nighttime the façade displayed a vibrant, but stylish show of patterns and animations that made the building come to life. (more…)

Galleria Centercity, Cheonan – Winner MAB 2012

1 Galleria Centercity marks the entrance to a new development area in Cheonan, South Korea and will play a major role in the new urban development. The strategy for the building enclosure consists of creating an optical illusion. The façades feature two layers of customized aluminium extrusion profiles on top of a back layer of composite aluminium cladding. The vertical profiles of the top layer are straight; but those of the back layer are angled. This results in a wave-like appearance, which changes with the viewpoint of the spectator (Moiré effect). During the day the building has a monochrome reflective appearance, whilst at night soft colours are used to generate waves of coloured light across the façade. The lighting design capitalizes on the double layered façade structure. (more…)

Silo 468, Kruunuvuorenranta – Winner MAB12

9 Large scale permanent light art installation and a new civic space for city of Helsinki has been created by the sea in the former industrial area of Kruunuvuori. The piece uses natural light as well as parametrically controlled white LED lights to suggest a connection to its surroundings in real time. Officially launched on 10th October 2012 the light art intervention signifies the start of a large urban redevelopment of the area into modern residential zone for 11000 people.

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Flame Towers, Baku

1819 Baku Flame Towers is a striking new addition to the skyline of Baku. Located atop a hill on the Caspian Sea overlooking Baku Bay and the old city center, the three towers were inspired by Azerbaijan’s ancient history of fire worshipping, and will illuminate the city and act as an eternal flame for modern Baku. The goal of the project was to create a low-resolution media façade to display video content, while integrating inconspicuous lighting fixtures into existing architecture. To meet the project requirements, Traxon created a special fixture, to be installed behind the buildings’ windows and give the allusion of ribbons of light. The main challenge of this project was the varying window dimensions, and that the maximum gap between fixture and window frame needed to be less than 50mm. With a flexible mounting solution and intelligent calculation, the project team reduced the overall amount of needed fixtures to only 16 different modular lengths. The entire three-tower installation is controlled by an e:cue Lighting Control Engine fx (LCE-fx) running Emotion, and Video Micro Converters (VMCs). Typically displaying burning flames, the intelligent control system allows for simple lighting show changes to reflect additional animations and graphics for special events. (more…)

HARPA Concert Hall, Reykjavik

HARPA_640x730_01 The new Harpa Concert Hall rises up like a giant cut crystal in front of the jagged coast of Reykjavik harbour. The honeycomb elements of the façade make up a dazzling sea of multicoloured highlights. Refl ections on the water surface reinforce the association with a natural phenomenon, calling to mind mysterious northern lights. The sparkling Concert Hall and Conference Centre that now adorns the cosmopolitan capital of Iceland was designed by Henning Larsen Architects in cooperation with the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, who was responsible for the characteristic appearance of the outer envelope. (more…)

City Bug Report, Aarhus

As one of the major outdoor installations the City Hall Tower was lit up during and after the Media Architecture Biennale 2012 which happened in Aarhus-Denmark.

The project was realized as a cooperation of the MAI and Aarhus Univeristy / PIT / CAVI with generous support trough AHL Mediafacades who were sponsoring the hardware. (more…)