NanoLumens and Digital Place Solutions re-engineer conventional thinking to create a truly unique rotating LED solution that is 50 percent lighter and three-times thinner than conventional solutions.
When it comes to working with NanoLumens and its Australian-based distribution partner Digital Place Solutions (DPS), The GPT Group knows from experience that there is no challenge too great for this dynamic duo that has already created breakthrough LED visualization solutions for its Melbourne Central Tower and Highpoint Shopping Centers. Not even an issue as critically important as weight!
Weight was the challenge that had to be faced when designing a third solution for the newly renovated Charlestown Square Shopping Center in Newcastle, New South Wales. Dwight Hodgetts, The GPT Group’s Charlestown Square General Manager, knew that the solution created for the space would have to work without requiring expensive structural work on the existing roof. “Our previous experience with NanoLumens and DPS gave us great confidence that the design created for Charlestown Square would be just as creative and effective as the first two solutions, without exceeding our structural weight limits,” Hodgetts stated. “As the owner of leading retail shopping centers across Australia, The GPT Group has to be able to upgrade its engagement platforms without incurring significant structural upgrade costs. NanoLumens and DPS have proven to be extremely effective in meeting this mandate.”
According to DPS Director Gerry Thorley, the existing roof structure of the Charleston Square center required the team to design and engineer a rotating solution that would weigh less than 1,000kg, or 2,204 pounds, so that it could be suspended from the existing ceiling of the shopping center’s main glass atrium. “Working with Salt Lake City, Utah based Dynapac Rotating, we succeeded in going far beyond what the weight limit would allow,” Thorley explained. “We created an integrated rotating solution that weighs a total of only 650kg, or 1,433 pounds! It’s a solution that is 50 percent lighter than similarly configured conventional solutions, creates a larger display surface area for sponsor messaging, and is three-times thinner than a traditional solution.”
The result is the first NanoLumens rotating system to be installed anywhere in the world. It is comprised of a double-sided 4MM portrait format display measuring 2.44m Wide X 4.27m High (8-feet W X 14-feet H) that is discretely coupled directly to the top of the rotator. In order to ensure a seamless fit, the newly developed Dynapac rotator was shipped to the NanoLumens design center in Georgia and the LED display was designed and engineered specifically for the rotator. “We had three very specific needs that needed to be addressed with this solution,” Thorley emphasized. “The existing roof structure, the need for a rotator, and the need for a suspended design required us to completely re-think the conventional wisdom about weight and rotator integration. Many other customers are now going to benefit from what we achieved for this project.”
From a consumer perspective, the result is even more stunning, according to The GPT Group’s Dwight Hodgetts. “The combination of the lightweight NanoLumens technology and the new Dynapac design means that our needs were met, the existing roof is not under any additional stress, and, because the cables are very fine, the display appears to be literally hovering in the atrium,” Hodgetts added. “The display’s larger surface area stops shoppers in their tracks, allowing our sponsor messages to be better seen and retained, all while providing a major visual update to the newly renovated shopping center.”
The world’s first rotating NanoLumens LED display was installed and fully operational for the July 14, 2016 opening of the center’s first H&M store, located directly adjacent to the new display. According to NanoLumens Vice President of Strategic Accounts Almir DeCarvalho, “We approach every project from the perspective of each client’s unique needs. The new Charlestown Square rotating display demonstrates how NanoLumens works with its partners to redefine conventional wisdom. For Charlestown Square, we created a next-generation integrated display/rotator solution that is significantly lighter than anything else currently available on the market. I am sure that this achievement will benefit other NanoLumens customers around the world.”
Charlestown Square is the largest shopping, dining and entertainment destination in the Hunter Region. The 88,000 square-meter, or 947,224 square-foot, shopping center is currently undergoing an internal development to bring new and exciting international retailers to the Hunter during 2016. With more than 240 specialty stores, including Apple, City Beach, Rebel Sport, Strike Bowling Bar, and H&M, Charlestown Square has something for everyone. It is also home to the only Myer department store in the region, as well as a number of other major stores, including Target, Big W, Woolworths, Coles and Reading Cinemas. The center has more than 100 fashion stores, including more than 30 exclusive stores.
To watch a video case study about this project, click here.