Respected as one of New York’s premier luxury real estate developers, Rockrose Development recently began work on the renovation of their property at 300 Park Avenue. Located in the prestigious Park Avenue submarket in Manhattan, the project renovation was to include the creation of a completely new rooftop, outdoor living experience. Wanting a dynamic visual display to be the focal point of the design, Rockrose Development called upon the team at VJVIT who installed an IP-65 rated FLEXStorm LED video display from PixelFLEX.

(Image: PixelFLEX)

“We have done other technology related work Rockrose Development in the past, but this was our first time creating an outdoor LED video display,” began Victor Perez, VJVIT COO. “The property had a high-end client moving into the top two floors of the building, and they wanted to create an exciting rooftop deck for them as well. As part of the build-out, the elevator was to be extended to open onto the roof, so the mechanical room had to be extended, which in turn provided a large brick wall that was perfect for the installation of the FLEXStorm LED video display.”

Designed specifically to overcome the challenges associated with traditional outdoor LED video displays, FLEXStorm from PixelFLEX utilizes an intelligent, auto-correcting light sensor control system to ensure the perfect brightness at all hours of the day. With its safe and reliable IP65-rated connections, FLEXStorm can weather the environment, and is available in a variety of custom sizes, resolutions and configurations.

(Image: PixelFLEX)

“In one of the project renderings, the architect had shown a projection system throwing an image on the exterior wall,” continued Perez. “In discussing with them the plausibility of an outdoor projector, we outlined the lighting challenges and the need for the system to be completely weatherproof. Once we showed them that we could create a greater impact with an outdoor LED video screen, they loved the idea.”

With approval to move forward on the LED video installation, the team at VJVIT began to research potential solution providers. As this would be their first outdoor video install, Perez wanted to find an experienced provider who would serve as a reliable partner throughout the design.

“At the time, we were a bit new to the world of exterior LED video, so we started doing our research and due diligence to find the right partner,” added Perez. “Once we spoke with the team at PixelFLEX, we were confident they could provide the proper guidance and support we needed all the way through the design and installation process.”

(Image: PixelFLEX)

Now turning their focus to the physical construction aspects of the design, the team needed to determine how the FLEXStorm LED could be mounted on the rooftop deck. Utilizing the new construction which was taking place for the expanded elevator system, the design now encompasses a permanently fastened mounting bracket connected directly to the building itself.

“During the design phase, there were a lot of questions about how we would actually mount the screen on the exterior brick wall,” explained Perez. “In the end, we designed a steel structure that was welded directly onto the building sub-structure during the extension of the elevator mechanical room, before the brick was put in place. The steel structure is very similar to what one might use to mount a large TV in their home, and this allowed us to then assemble the individual FLEXStorm LED tiles into the larger display. We then created an enclosure that goes from the sides of the screen, to the brick wall, which masks the supporting steel structure and gives us the flush-mount look we wanted.”

(Image: PixelFLEX)

Ready to finalize the control system behind the design, VJVIT wanted to create an even more dynamic experience by tying together elements of custom audio with the LED video. By developing a series of control points and output options, the rooftop deck is now able to accommodate a variety events, or a quiet evening alone.

“The controls of the rooftop experience are driven by a Crestron control system with two touch panels in different locations that allow them to control both the LED display and the audio system as well,” explained Perez. “The sound system is then broken up into various zones, so you can have individual control in certain areas, plus you also have the ability to connect a laptop either wirelessly or through hard-wired inputs located throughout the deck. Additionally, if they simply want to show a movie, there is a Blu-ray player connected as well, so the complete system gives the property owners a tremendous amount of flexibility when hosting an event or enjoying the rooftop in private.”

With the final design complete, it was time to now showcase the new FLEXStorm LED video design to the property owners and management team. Understanding the anticipation felt by many on the project, Perez was excited to unveil the new outdoor living environment, and it certainly did not disappoint.

“When we initially fired up the system, we got some HD video and audio to run through the system for a burn-in during the day and night,” concluded Perez. “Once we were ready to showcase the system running it complete unison, everyone was completely mesmerized. While we were only a small portion of the overall project design, getting the FLEXStorm LED video up and running was a milestone that everyone was waiting to see, and with its performance capabilities it is definitely the focal point of this rooftop outdoor living experience.”