How Oakland City Center Invigorated Its Lobby with a Video Wall and Digital Art
505 14th Street deploys TouchSource DynamicSpaces video wall and creates an inviting atmosphere
Built in 1985, 505 14th Street is a 12-story building with 172,273 square feet of office and retail space for its tenants. The property is one of six office buildings located at Oakland City Center (OCC), a growing retail and business district in Oakland, California. The complex is also home to the OCC Conference Center and next door to a major BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) hub.
In 2019, the property installed a video wall system featuring 12 TouchSource DynamicSpaces™ motion graphics videos featuring beautiful outdoor scenery as part of its lobby renovation. Content including the local weather, transit schedules, headline news, and a community calendar of events is artfully overlaid on top of the mesmerizing imagery. Together, the video wall and engaging content add a compelling amenity that refreshes the building entrance and provides an inviting experience for visitors, tenants, and building employees.
TouchSource recently spoke with Helen Kaslin, General Manager at Jones Lang LaSalle, about the recent video wall addition to the property.
Can you describe why the owners chose to add a video wall to your property?
Being built in the 1980s, the lobby area generally had a darker feel, so we really wanted to liven up the space to be bright and modern, like other buildings nearby and those in San Francisco. In general, the goal of the project was to evoke emotion and showcase innovation to differentiate our property from surrounding buildings and competition. So, the owner decided that a video wall would be a great addition to the project. The video wall displays vivid natural murals, from forest settings to ocean scenes, that change throughout the day.
What did you end up ordering, and what was the installation process like working with TouchSource?
In the past, we had purchased a directory from TouchSource for another OCC building, so selecting this company was a natural choice. We ordered two products: TouchSource DynamicSpaces digital art that displays on a 2×2 video wall system, and a new digital directory that replaces an older one located at our security and reception desk.
The deployment process was smooth every step of the way. After we placed the order, a general contractor prepared the wall for installation. TouchSource installed the video wall display and took care of the content programming behind the scenes. Overall, the entire process took about 6 weeks, from order placement in October to delivery in mid-December 2019.
How did installing the TouchSource Video Wall help accomplish the renovation goals?
Our TouchSource Video Wall with DynamicSpaces provides great essential information, like traffic and weather, and it also transformed the aesthetic of the lobby with vivid colors and lively images. It’s incredibly easy for us to manage, and any support needs have been handled quickly. Also, if we ever wanted to take advantage of advertising and save money on our display, we have the option to easily add the Directory Media Network capability to our service.
What overall feedback have you received about the video wall?
The TouchSource Video Wall is a nice, modern addition to our building. It complements our lobby renovation and livens up space. Being able to see the BART Transit schedule on the screen is very useful to our visitors and tenants, as many of them commute to work every day. We’ve also been told that our building security staff really enjoy the rotating murals because it provides a nice ice breaker while welcoming tenants and guests into the building.
