Finalists for LAVNCH [CODE]’s inaugural Out of This World Experiences Awards (OoTWEA) have been chosen and it’s time for you, our readers, to choose the winners.

Voting for the 2022 OoTWEA closed on April 4, 2022.

Editor’s Note: Installation descriptions for the Out of This World Experiences Awards were provided by contest entrants.

Verizon The Hub Innovation Center

Location: Boston, MA

Integration Firm: AVI-SPL

Why It’s Out of This World: The Verizon Innovation Hub is a direct result of an architect asking if something unique can be accomplished with a piece of technology. The concept was to have a main 16:9 display that splayed out from the main display to create an industrial, deconstructed, video wall display that looked like a circuit board. It needed to have a clean aesthetic, but also seem industrial with parts and cabling exposed—like a TV had intentionally exploded. The Verizon Hub project utilized Nanolumens’ 1.5mm Nixel in an array that was approximately 17.85-ft. wide x 12.6-ft. tall. The main video wall section is 16:9, as were each of the circuit-board style “wings”. And although it has been some time since Nanolumens used 9mm LED panels indoors, they also provided a ceiling suspended video wall overhead above this main video wall. This was more of a lighting feature to create ambience in the space. This video wall adds almost a diffused mirror effect of the larger curved display for the Innovation Center.

Xpark Aquarium

Location: Taipei City

Integration Firm: Dacoms Technology

Why It’s Out of This World: Xpark Aquarium has become one of the most popular attractions in Taiwan and tickets to the facility are in high demand. Exhibition zones that feature Christie projections, such as Diving in Coral Sea, Rainforest Adventure, and Healing Jellyfish are a hit with visitors as the displayed visuals create a heightened sense of immersion and illusion that they are exploring a mysterious and exciting underwater world with floor and wall projections.

Tommy’s Place

Location: Falmouth, MA

Integration Firm: Boston Automations

Why It’s Out of This World: Tommy’s Place provides fantasy vacations and a lifetime of memories to families dealing with childhood cancer diagnoses. Designed as a retreat for local Massachusetts families, the Control4-automated 11-bedroom 19th-century inn on the famous island of Cape Cod offers a one-of-a-kind vacation destination for entire extended families where every turn reveals colorful splashes of whimsy and kid-friendly amusement.
From the backyard’s restored 1951 fire engine, life-sized chess board, SunBrite outdoor TV and Episode surround sound to the game room and the “stargazer” room complete with space suits, a telescope and a constellation-themed ceiling, With so many unique rooms to explore and opportunity for families to split up in different areas of the property, the team wanted to ensure that everything electronic works without issue and without requiring instruction. This made the Control4 system the ideal solution, because it’s one of the easiest and most reliable smart home systems available, with a user interface so intuitive that most people can operate it without any training—especially kids who’ve grown up with technology all around them. Additionally, the technologies eliminated a lot of potential difficulties, including the reality of staying in a home with nearly 100 lighting loads. Nobody wants to walk around for 10 minutes each night to make sure the lights are off and the doors are locked, especially on vacation. With the Control4 remotes and touch panels placed throughout the home, they don’t have to. A single button for ‘nighttime’ is all it takes.

TK Elevator North American HQ

Location: Atlanta, GA

Integration Firm: AVI-SPL

Why It’s Out of This World: Elevator industry leader, TK Elevator’s motto is “Move beyond”. This slogan encapsulates the development of their new North American headquarters perfectly as this state-of-the-art innovation center and campus moves beyond conformity to break barriers. Nanolumens collaborated with the Brand Design division of Gensler Architecture to outfit both the interior and exterior of TKE’s new 420-foot-tall Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC), with digital canvases befitting the tallest elevator test tower in North America. The concept was a digital display that could be seen from the outside of the building, but would not disturb those working inside. The TK Elevator project features an 11,000 sq. ft. CLRVU LED mesh display on the exterior of the building, as well as a four-sided “virtual elevator”, state-of-the-art elevator test tower, and digital showroom inside the Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC). The exterior display shows bright during the day and at night with LED mesh running 100-ft. long by 85-ft. wide on the east side and wrapping another 15 ft. on the building’s north and south elevations. The CLRVU Mesh allows IQC visitors to have unobstructed views of the city through the mesh, while allowing for dynamic media to be displayed on the exterior of the building. Nanolumens’ CLRVU display, with 2.4-million-pixel virtual resolution, illuminates The Battery Atlanta with the TKE logo, brand messaging and animations.

Take Flight at Wilderness Resort

Location: Wisconsin Dells, WI

Integration Firm: SimEx-Iwerks

Why It’s Out of This World: Guests at Wisconsin’s Wilderness Resort are getting a unique aerial view of U.S. National Parks, national landmarks and the Wisconsin Dells, onboard the new FlyRide Take Flight aerial adventure ride. Take Flight immerses guests in a five-story partial dome, while their feet dangle from ride vehicles, giving the illusion of flight. Take Flight begins with guests entering the ride through an airport-themed lobby, with “windows” looking out onto the National Parks, complete with fun facts and trivia. Guests are then queued at an “airport” featuring airplane seats before entering the ride. As the ride begins, the doors open and riders surge forward, revealing an immersive five-story partial dome. Guest’s feet dangle as they’re surrounded by the immense dome, creating the illusion of flying over U.S. National Parks, national landmarks and the Wisconsin Dells.

San Diego Symphony

Location: San Diego, CA

Integration Firm: Solotech

Why It’s Out of This World: Solotech provided full audio, video, lighting, network, and control for this new outdoor performing arts venue. This unique design of high-end AVL systems performs outside over 300 days a year, despite the challenge of being so close to the ocean and the salty air.

Resorts World Las Vegas

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Integration Firm: Solotech

Why It’s Out of This World: Solotech installed state-of-the-art technology to support some of the highest profile artists in the world at this 5,000 seat live performance venue on the Las Vegas Strip. The system was designed with as much flexibility as possible to all of the artists performing in the space the ability to be as creative as possible.

Proscenium Studio at McCann Systems

Location: Edison, NJ

Integration Firm: McCann Systems

Why It’s Out of This World: This installation is out of this world out of pure design ingenuity and utility—although its beauty could win awards by itself. McCann has taken its iterations of virtual classrooms over the last decade and continuously improved the solution for their customers and themselves. When COVID came roaring back in Q3 2021, McCann moved its Leadership Summit to a hybrid-style to have minimal risk to the larger employee attendance. McCann got to work on this when they realized in 2020 that things may be shuttered for a while. At their own cost, time, and energy, they redesigned this wing of their building using their architectural and engineering teams, even redistributing HVAC to keep clients and the equipment cool. Adding a rack and control room were also crucial for success, as a producer can run the show on or off-site. The demo space was such an excellent solution for its Leadership Summit that the company has opened the room up for use by other companies.

Netflix

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Integration Firm: Studio 440 and Visioneering Design Co.

Why It’s Out of This World: The first installation of Meyer Sound’s Ultra Reflex Screen Channel Sound Solution for Direct View Displays is at a reference-level screening room and lab at the Netflix campus in Los Angeles. Designed to replicate both critical viewing and audio mixing as well as accommodate VIP screenings, the room features a 17-feet wide by 9-feet high HDR-capable 4K Crystal LED from Sony. The system is being used as a proving ground for demonstrating a new reference quality audio and video reproduction to the most discerning audience—the professionals who create the content. This one-of-a-kind combination of Sony visual and Meyer Sound aural solutions has earned glowing reviews from post-production professionals. “I recently had a chance to visit Netflix to demo Sony’s new large-scale Crystal LED screen and the accompanying immersive sound system that Meyer Sound had developed for it…to be honest I was a bit skeptical, having heard other various attempts at this type of thing,” said Will Files, re-recording mixer and sound supervisor for Stranger Things and Sol Levante. “Instead, what I heard was simply stunning—a reference quality, completely transparent sound system that matches the spectacular visuals from the Crystal LED display. Playing clips from my mix of Stranger Things, I was truly shocked at how close it sounded to the studio where we had mixed it. I wouldn’t hesitate to mix on this system in the first place, it’s that good!”

National Museum of the United States Army

Location: Ft. Belvoir, VA

Integration Firm: Design & Production

Why It’s Out of This World: The AV system at the National Museum of the United States Army provides the necessary high quality video, images, and interactivity to give visitors a memorable journey through history. The development team was able to focus on and internalize the nuances of the stories to be told so that they could present them in the best possible context—keeping people from going back to their phones so they could experience the simple and effective human storytelling that creates a lasting impression and appreciation for our nation’s heroes. The development of the system embraced the flexibility necessary to enable museum staffers to personalize veteran-related content in each gallery for specific audiences and events, and then quickly return the playback systems to normal operations. These performance and system operation goals were realized by the integration of AVoIP signal distribution between AV sources, monitors, and touchscreens; this facilitated video resolution (uncompressed 4K) with near-zero latency to provide the necessary interactivity of the exhibits.

Museum of the Future

Location: Dubai, UAE

Integration Firm: AVI-SPL

Why It’s Out of This World: The Museum of the Future captivates people around the world through its digital promotions. In person, it welcomes people to see, touch, and explore the challenges and opportunities that shape the future of Earth and beyond. Technology is central to this mission. The immersive exhibits installed by AVI-SPL integrate space, content, and technology to create interactive storytelling experiences that spark wonder in audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Visitors engage with an array of next-generation technologies, including massive projection walls, augmented reality, multi-sensory exhibits, and human-machine interaction. An AI-powered digital guide welcomes guests via an expansive 3 x 3 meter LED screen. The Sand Bath installation offers a unique sensory experience shaped by vibration, light, and water. An interactive projection on the floor simulates sand and wind conforming to visitors’ movement within the space. A stunning installation of a 21 x 4 meter screen with 14 rear projectors simulates a near-Earth orbit station that transports visitors into both space and the future and delivers a truly out-of-this-world experience.

Lotte World

Location: Seoul, South Korea

Integration Firm: Star Networks

Why It’s Out of This World: Widely acknowledged as the most famous landmark in Lotte World’s outdoor theme park known as Magic Island, the 41-meter-high Magic Castle is distinguished by its medieval-style towers with signature blue tiles and white brick exteriors. This highly impactful graphic-based 3D mapping show has been designed by international digital company d’strict based on the formative characteristics of Lotte World Magic Castle’s architectural structure. A complete suite of Christie solutions enables the delivery of a breathtaking spectacle that creates an illusion of a moving Magic Castle that morphs into numerous forms. A variety of music spanning various genres completes the soundtrack, and fills the night of Magic Island with an air of enchantment.

Let’s Glow SF at Downtown Community Benefit District

Location: San Francisco, CA

Integration Firm: A3 Visual

Why It’s Out of This World: Let’s Glow SF, a world-class projection mapping festival in San Francisco, was attended by over 40,000 people and generating over $2.2M in local economic stimulation. By projection mapping on four buildings simultaneously—some over 300 ft. tall—for 10 days, and lighting up the city, Let’s Glow SF cemented its mark as a premier projection mapping event. With world-class motion graphics, A3 Visual was able to inspire and “wow” attendees and brought together a community of artists to create this record-breaking event. SF Mayor London Breed gave the event a Certificate of Honor for its efforts in helping bring the city of San Francisco back to life.

Illuminarium Experiences

Location: Atlanta, GA and Las Vegas, NV

Integration Firm: Electrosonic

Why It’s Out of This World: Imagine the opportunity to see a lion up close—it’s an experience very few of us get, but one that’s now possible, thanks to WILD: The World’s First Virtual Safari. Within the immersive walls, made up of canvasses of 3 billion pixels, visitors can experience the African landscape, and digest the true scale of an elephant all with their own eyes, no virtual reality (VR) headset required. This installation provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all visitors including students, teachers, families, and more. And the tech behind this experience is no less impressive. Combining extended reality (XR) and VR technology with projection mapping and sensory sound is the cutting edge of immersive experiences, with this installation leading the way for the future of entertainment.

Homebody at Ciel Creative Spaces

Location: Berkeley, CA

Integration Firm: A3 Visual, Craig Winslow Studio

Why It’s Out of This World: Homebody was a truly dynamic and immersive experience. Translucent floor-to-ceiling installations played with themes of transparency, light, color, and space. Visitors stepped into a full 360 experience, brought to dynamic life by projection mapping and augmented reality activated on smart devices. The team used Epson LightScene and Pro Series 3LCD projectors in in the three main installations—Isolation, Collaboration, and Chrysalis—throughout the space, along with some of other areas to add illumination effects. Hueman’s exhibit was an example of how projection technology can expand possibilities and applications to create an immersive art experience.

First Americans Museum of Oklahoma

Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Integration Firm: Ford AV

Why It’s Out of This World: The First Americans Museum (FAM) of Oklahoma is the only place in the United States where visitors can experience and learn about shared American history through the lens and collective stories of 39 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma today. Within a 175,000 square foot space, the museum takes visitors through an immersive and powerful storytelling experience. Peerless-AV and Ford AV constructed a giant, suspended, and curved dvLED video wall designed to wrap around the center of the museum. The video wall mimics the gathering space in which tribal villages would gather for the exchange of ideas, live music, and performances to create a visually stimulating experience for museum visitors.

Financial Services Campus

Location: Charlotte, NC

Integration Firm: McCann Systems

Why It’s Out of This World: The new installation is controlled as easily as a sports bar, pushing content wherever they want—whether custom content, data pulls, live TV feeds, or any number of inputs.The significant difference, of course, is the massive amount of custom LED tucked into niches and major thoroughfares across multiple buildings, and the screens are purpose-built for bright, crisp 24/7 use. Several highlights are in the food hall, with elite LED installations around most of the building’s exposed columns. At the far end of the seating area lives a 32:9 1.2mm LED wall that lights up the second dining level, with another screen on the backside, entertaining those who opt for a game of foosball. Merging UCC and experiential AV installations throughout a campus blends two successful verticals, and truly makes these building interior and exteriors out of this world.

Delta IV Heavy Rocket

Location: Cape Canaveral, FL

Integration Firm: Nationwide Video

Why It’s Out of This World: PaintScaping projection mapped an operational rocket, the Delta IV Heavy, to help mark its impending launch. The façade of the Delta IV Heavy—with its combination of even, uneven, curved, and flat surfaces—presented a test for PaintScaping’s extensive skills on this large-scale mapping. “It was a pleasure to work with the latest and brightest RGB laser projector on the market for this unique project,” said Philippe Bergeron, president of PaintScaping, which created the eye-catching content for the event. “We have a long history of working with Christie and Nationwide Video, and it was a joy to team up with them once again. The imposing structure of the rocket drove the narrative of this once in a life-time video mapping opportunity, with the Christie projection helping to deliver the impact we required. It is always a thrill to share the power of 3D projection mapping, and we enjoyed the challenge of delivering on the client’s vision.”

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

Location: Chicago, IL

Integration Firm: AV Chicago

Why It’s Out of This World: AV Chicago turned a basic basketball gymnasium, the event’s primary venue, into a socially distant live stream studio with an “award show” feel. The company incorporated a stage look and backdrop that gave them flexible show flow options and creative camera shots, but was functionally designed to keep all talent socially distant through the show. The Atomic “Chads” system used was designed and installed to help create depth and texture to the stage design, while adding a simple two-layer backdrop lighting plot allowed the company to make simple but impactful changes to the design for each individual segment.

Help LAVNCH [CODE] Choose the 2022 Out of This World Experiences Award Winners

You’ve seen the entries—now help us choose the winners via our online voting system. Click here to vote for your three favorites. Winners will be publicly announced on LIVE on rAVe [TV] on April 6, 2022.

The Out of This World Experiences Awards winning entries will be shared in a LAVNCH [CODE] article, on social media, and with our subscribers in an email blast.

Promotional opportunities are available for winners—interested parties can contact Bruce MacIntosh at bruce@theraveagency.com for more information.