In Cambridge, Mass., Kendall Square is an internationally recognized innovation district that has been characterized as "the most innovative square mile on the planet" due to the high concentration of tech and life science companies and the nearby influence of MIT. Inspired by the brilliant energy of the area, a new residential development in Kendall Square features 295 apartment units and a range of upscale amenities. Managed by real estate company Bozzuto, One65 Main is a vibrant living space that includes a fourth-floor terrace with outdoor kitchen, a state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio, as well as conference rooms, work nooks and common spaces designed for remote working residents.

Originally, two 75-inch Planar LED displays were specified for a corner wall in the lobby of the new building. According to David Goldberg, vice president of strategic accounts with DGI Communications, the audio-visual integrator for the project, the purpose of the displays was to address a City of Cambridge mandate. "To obtain a certification of occupancy, the city requires that new apartment buildings display public transit information in a particular way," Goldberg explained.

However, during the construction process, the project team encountered an architectural limitation that triggered the need for a new video display design.

"We were asked to look at alternate solutions and that became an opportunity to upgrade to something more interesting," Goldberg said. "Werecommended a solution that would work with the architecture but also have a higher impact in the space. Once the client got a taste for that type of display, they were eager to go down that road."

Making a Visual Statement

The completed installation is a nearly 8-foot-long, 5.5-foot-high (5x4) Planar® TVF Series LED video wall with a 1.2mm pixel pitch (TVF1.2) that wraps a 90-degree corner in the lobby space. Upon DGI's suggestion, content is split between the two separate facing sections of the video wall. One side is used to display transit information as required by the city. For the other side, DGI introduced the One65 Main to Seenspire, a streaming service for digital signage.

"With Seenspire, the client can go beyond transit information to show a wide range of curated content, from news and weather to digital art, social media and quotes of the day," Goldberg said. "The split screen with two content feeds is the default setting, but the video wall can still be configured to display content across one seamless canvas that wraps the corner. Visually, the installation is incredible. It's the attention grabber in the space."

One65 Main General Manager Byron Long said the Planar TVF Series LED video wall transforms the lobby. "It's definitely eye-catching, even when viewed from the street," he said. "We have a big focus here on creating a sense of community and engagement, and the video wall helps make the lobby more welcoming for anybody walking in. At the same time, it creates a sense of the innovation that this area is known for. A 90-degree video wall is unique and something you don't usually see in an apartment community."