The Challenge
Located in the arts and entertainment district of St. Louis, Missouri, the Angad Arts Hotel was looking to revamp the appearance of a floor-to-ceiling, concrete support pillar located in the lobby lounge, uniquely positioned on the top floor of the hotel. Incorporating the luxury hotel’s immersive and high-end art theme, the team wanted an innovative design that would attract and inspire guests by showcasing the work of local artists to create an authentic St. Louis atmosphere and experience.
Working within a historic building is challenging with low ceiling heights and 360-degree canvas of the pillar, therefore, the installation required strategic mounting and positioning to create the desired effect.
The Solution
David Miskit, executive managing director of Angad Arts Hotel, turned to Chris Brackenbury, founder, lead product developer and designer of Pixelwix, to develop an innovative visual solution that would elevate the look of the hotel’s lobby lounge.
The proposed solution was to create a large 360-degree projection screen surrounding the support pillar, with the restriction of a maximum of 14 feet in diameter. Projectors would be installed around the existing 18” x 18” floor-to-ceiling pillar, allowing media content to project onto the screen on a 24/7 basis. Beneath the 360-degree screen, the base of the pillar would be surrounded with seating, creating the image of a large lamp.
To explore how to accurately execute this projection idea, the Pixelwix design team used proprietary projection calculator software and a 360-degree server to simulate the projection environment. By virtually simulating the project prior to executing the installation, the team was able to determine several projector options suited for the project.
From the simulation, the team learned that an ultra-short throw projector with a long performance life was required for this installation. The Pixelwix projection calculator identified the Optoma ZH400UST as an ideal option for this simulation, given the projector model’s laser phosphor light source and 20,000 hours of lamp life, which would accommodate the 24/7 usage of the projectors.
The Results
Leveraging five Optoma ZH400UST projectors, as well as Pixelwix’s proprietary advanced warping and blending tools and media player, the team was able to position the projectors on a custom slide rail on the center post and overlap the projected images to cover the entire 360-degree canvas.
The lounge of the Angad Arts Hotel lobby was successfully transformed into a visually captivating hotel entrance with a beautiful 14-foot diameter, 360-degree display in the shape of a lamp, dubbed the “Chameleon Lamp.” Designed to attract and welcome hotel guests, the visual installation also further enhances the hotel’s commitment to showcasing the work of local St. Louis artists and contributes to the Angad’s unique art-deco experience.
In addition, the Pixelwix team continues to use Optoma projectors for other projects and installations. Brackenbury adds, “It’s not just the great cost-effective projectors, it’s also the great team at Optoma that keeps us coming back.”
