Designed by Eric Parry Architects, Fen Court is the first Generali Real Estate development in London. The ambition was to create a 15-storey building that sits harmoniously with its surroundings yet stands proudly as an icon with its own sense of place. With a medieval passageway running through the centre of the site at ground level, planning regulations deemed that this heritage be retained and therefore plans aimed to glorify this public highway funnelling traffic between Fenchurch Avenue and Fenchurch Street. In the middle of the passageway resides a central soffit measuring 15m x 15m which houses an art installation in the form of an LED screen.
“We integrated the audiovisual in order to create a sense of place and a sense of connection between the ground plane and the skyscape, the passageway and the roof garden and more largely have this artistic interest because going through a passageway which is covered is dark and the idea here was to create a room inside the building where you would find a sense of peace and solace and it’s a time for respite” says Tina Paillet of Generali Real Estate.
Sysco were invited to generate designs that envisaged the client’s innovative vision yet complied with structural constraints and building regulations. Initial ideas included projection, however factors such as throw distance, lack of service space and ongoing maintenance concerns eliminated this option following in depth feasibility analysis on the technological integration possibilities. Thorough research and investigation presented the LED ceiling as the preferred option due to it’s high brightness, design flexibility and capacity to be suspended face down from a height of 9.5m. The resulting audiovisual infrastructure comprises of two live cameras on the rooftop garden, a 180m² LED screen in the central atrium and the system control and interface in the AV control room.
To find the best technology and product solution, UK distributor PSCo. proposed Absen’s 5mm LED solution. Measuring 13.8m x 12.9m, the LED screen comprises of 540 panels, all of which are fully front serviceable to allow easy access for maintenance requirements. Absen’s award winning N series range, with reliable and robust mechanical design has undergone rigorous testing to meet European standards. The panels are 40% thinner and 30% lighter than other standard LED products on the market thereby reducing mount frame complexity and total weight.
Live content feeds from two Axis 4K resolution outdoor grade cameras mounted on the roof of the building. Both have in dome housings, PTZ capabilities and are IP66 rated for increased field of view. Controlled by software, preset positions can be saved to enable a variety of views. The artistic concept for the media dictates a verticality of perspective, therefore one camera points skywards at the wisteria canopy, and the other downwards to the garden below.
Due to its exposure to the elements, Jacarta Interceptor Pro monitors temperature and humidity levels via sensors installed above and below the LED screen. Early warning notifications are configured and the screen can be switched on or off as required should fluctuations in temperature or humidity occur.
Feeds from the cameras and media player route to the LED display via an upstream Crestron DigitalMedia matrix. A tvONE CORIOmaster video wall processor configures the output resolution and aspect ratio required for the LED display, scaling the content to ensure impeccable quality. This videowall processor is one of the most flexible and capable products on the market. In a 1RU chassis, it is exceptionally compact yet supports multiple windows that can be resized, added, removed and rotated dynamically on the wall. It is one of the few processors on the market with the ability to accommodate the custom resolution of the LED screen.
The dialogue between London and Fen Court is complemented through a video piece by artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier. Titled ‘The Call of Things’, London’s great parks and waterscapes are depicted through four tableaux each focusing on the intersection between seasons. “Through video and audio we can create an environment where the viewer can connect with what is around them in a new way and a more direct way that links in with the senses” says artist Claire Oboussier. The hope is that people will pause a moment and be encouraged to visit the roof terrace where they can engage with the city of London and their surroundings in a different way. The artwork itself is also shot on a vertical plane, which ensures a seamless narrative is created between the artwork and the two live camera feeds.
Graeme Bunyan at Sysco Productions describes that “there are aspirations for potential future elements that we had to design in at the beginning. So we needed to make sure there was infrastructure in place. One of those elements was audio. We are in the process of including additional audio solutions for the system and those are just being connected into the existing infrastructure we designed.” With plans to integrate two speakers, an audio soundscape is being created in collaboration with Savanh Phaophanit. Sound will be treated in a musical way that will complement, contrast and magnify the imagery. Edited precisely to create moments of synchronicity, the dialogue between video and sound will heighten the sensory experience.
The LED screen will present this artistic piece throughout the day, working on a continuous loop between the live media and the artistic content. As the largest ceiling mounted LED screen in Europe, this is a magnificent engineering feat that connects Fen Court with the city, the roof garden with the atrium, and the video content with the people of London. With high praise, Paillet comments that “ I think it’s gone beyond our expectations, simply because it has a wow factor that we were hoping for but we didn’t dare dream of.”
To contact Sysco and to find out more about their projects, please visit their members page.
