Overview
Project partners for the reimagined Observatory Experience at the Empire State Building in New York City included consultant Thinc Design, integrator Diversified Systems, and custom mount manufacturer rp Visual Solutions (RPV). For this historic tourist must-see, LED displays are used throughout the galleries to create an immersive experience that walks guests through the creation of the Empire State Building. RPV designed and engineered the custom wall and ceiling support structures for the LED displays in 5 galleries: Construction, Opening Day, the Otis Elevators, the Icon Wall, and The Heart of NYC Wall. The Construction gallery alone totals over 85 feet by 8 feet of LED. The LED displays used both Planar Carbonlight 2.6, with a Diffusion Screen on top, and Planar DLX, DL2, and TWA LED panels.
Solution
RPV’s mounts are engineered to take the load and tolerance of the LED panels into consideration and thus take any building irregularities out of the equation. By doing this, RPV can achieve a true and level surface when structural walls are flat. Utilizing RPV’s fixed backer frame as part of the custom mounting solution provides stability, ensures a smooth installation, and offers precision alignment. Stewart Diffusion Screens were placed in front of the LED arrays using custom RPV mounts. The screen mounts included Z adjustment to allow the screen to be placed within spec from the LED. Combining LED and Diffusion screen technology creates an immersive experience, with images so life-like guests feel like they are truly looking out into the skyline as the building is worked on. RPV’s experienced team of mechanical engineers worked alongside the project consultant and dealer, and created a custom solution that makes this historic experience like none other.