Video wall at Terre Haute Casino & Resort by R2Architects , to open in 2024
Signs of the Times
For decades , Times Square in New York City showed the world how to use video walls to make a statement , in the form of giant billboards . Who wasn ’ t mesmerized to see the Marlboro Man blowing smoke into the air from above , or the Camel man doing the same ? OK , maybe that was a bad look . But it was an innovative one .
Today ’ s video walls — bigger , splashier and more interactive than ever — also took a cue from a humble concept : TV screens at sports bars and sportsbooks .
Just a few years ago , sportsbooks were a rarity outside Las Vegas . But sports bars were a thing , and they usually featured an array of televisions plastered around the room , almost all showcasing a different game . They were , in fact , rudimentary video walls , with a pulse on the future .
In 2018 , after the U . S . Supreme Court struck down the federal law prohibiting sports betting , Atlantic City casinos started adding sportsbooks . That ’ s when designers saw the potential of video walls and how they could evolve beyond a bank of TV screens . “ As technology advanced , so did our design perspective in order to stay ahead of the latest trends ,” says Michael Mangini , director of design for SOSH Architects .
Multimedia walls became more than just a way to broadcast a baseball or basketball game while customers imbibed a beer or three . They became a source of entertainment — not just in sportsbooks and sports bars , but in retail clothing boutiques , health care centers , corporate boardrooms , and any businesses that saw an opportunity to make a statement , and had the means to do so .
New Jersey-based R2Architects designed a video feature , now under construction , for Terre Haute Casino and Resort in Indiana . “ You ’ ll see it in the center of the casino , a two-sided video wall ,” says John P . Ruiz , who is principal of R2A , along with David J . Rudzenski . The wall involves huge circular screens inside and outside a bar on the casino floor , and features a 60-foot diameter video wall , up to eight feet tall , inboard and outboard .
It displays sporting events at multiple venues , “ intermixed with property promotions and shows , in tandem with music video content as well ,” says Ruiz . “ Around the circumference on the ring you ’ re seeing a variety of different content .”
At All Costs
The investment level for video walls has “ come down in 10 years , but is still expensive ,” Ruiz adds . “ A small four-by-10-foot wall could cost up to the $ 100,000 range . Larger ones have a $ 1 million budget . If you want higher clarity , you spend more money .”
Video walls have become an integral part of design , rather than an afterthought . And large-format videos that evoke emotion and feedback can be pretty spectacular . Take the famous Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas , which was credited with bringing traffic back to the city that had left for the Strip . Or the video wall at Harrah ’ s Atlantic City , which covers the whole side of the 46-story building , and promotes upcoming concerts and other special events , and can be seen from miles away .
“ There ’ s a true science to creating the right ratio of curated media content and pixel resolution to the distance in which the end-user is viewing it ,” says Mangini . “ We ’ re fortunate to work with some truly talented audio-visual and acoustical consultants that specialize in this area .”
If the space is more intimate and guests view the screens up close , finer resolution is essential . From a distance , less resolution is needed . Designers must also weigh lighting to create an immersive viewing experience . Consumers are increasingly sophisticated about digital entertainment , so when a property invests in a digital display , quality must be top of mind .
“ We work with clients that don ’ t have budgets to accommodate huge video walls but still want an AV experience that we can creatively deliver ,” Mangini says . “ Though as technology becomes more affordable , we anticipate seeing more of the TVs currently being used in those venues replaced with video walls . There are no boundaries if your imagination , creativity and budget help guide the design decisions .”
SOSH designs include the Gallery at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City , which features three massive custom direct-view LED video walls ; and the William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana , also in AC , which includes more than 1,654 square feet of 2.6 mm pixel pitched LED screens .
“ Bigger is often better ,” Mangini says , “ and you can deliver more content with versatility , whether it ’ s one large Super Bowl party or basketball tournaments with 20 games being shown at once .”
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