Curved Pixel Plus LED wall at the heart of new visual design for Cape Town sports store
Cape Town, South Africa, August 2021 – Following a successful install at The Foschini Group’s (TFG) Foschini store in Canal Walk, Cape Town, the South African retail group recently commissioned another product from the Stage Audio Works’ Pixel Plus range for their Sportscene brand, located in the same shopping centre. This time, the project witnessed the implementation of a curved Pixel Plus LED wall as the centrepiece of the store’s new visual concept. It is a prime example of how TFG strives to improve the in-store customer experience by weaving digital media into the fabric of its business, incorporating different strands of cutting-edge technology. Here, TFG called upon retail solutions specialists, Lumalytic (PTY) Ltd. to create a brand new look with hi-tech audio-visual and lighting solutions. The Sportscene store is now home to a new, custom Pixel Plus digital signage screen as well as an improved audio system complete with zone control, and innovative lighting that cultivates a vibrant shopping experience.
The curved Pixel Plus display is the focal point of the installation. Set amidst the racks of urban and sports footwear, the half-cylinder screen measures 3m high and 1.5m wide and possesses a pixel pitch of 2.5mm, ideal for optimal detail in-store viewing distances. The display is powered by a Novastar TB8 Screen Processor which allows for the effortless control of media output via a wired, WiFi or 4G connection. However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the screen is its curvature. The nature of the process meant that SAW had to assemble the screen on site: constructing a specially designed customised frame to hold the screen, before painstakingly fitting in the LED panels. Quite the feat of engineering!
Mike Summerfield of SAW elaborates: “We’re particularly proud of this install, in part because the finished curved Pixel Plus screen looks beautiful, but also due to the ingenuity demonstrated by our in-house manufacturing division in this custom build. It showcases our design prowess, attention to detail, and ability to work through COVID restrictions to deliver flexible solutions to our clients.”
For the audio, SAW also provided a background music (BGM) system for the store. Building on Sportscene’s existing setup, SAW added two hanging Bose speaker clusters to bolster coverage and reran the audio cabling to divide the store into four distinct zones – powered by a single Audac CAP448 four channel amplifier. SAW also added Q-SYS control which handles control for the audio, video and lighting throughout the store for a far more flexible solution. Audio control of the four zones is managed via a 7-inch touch screen controller for easy, fingertip access.
Lumalytic, a company that helps to bring retail stores alive with dazzling lighting solutions, were in charge of the project as a whole, and specifically handled the lighting element. They delivered an impressive 32m wide by 600mm high LED Pixel Mapping Wall that runs around the circumference of the store, and further LED pixel ‘fingers’ that run throughout the store roof to help to accentuate the curved LED screen and sneaker wall. This feature, along with the MadMapper projection mapping software that runs the graphics on the curved Pixel Plus LED wall, is also controlled via the Q-SYS system integrated by SAW. The idea is that as the day progresses, the visual elements of the store get louder and more dynamic in conjunction with peak hours of traffic.
Summing up their experience of the project, Shawn Godfrey, Executive Director of Lumalytic shares a few words: “As usual, it was a pleasure working alongside SAW on this install, who are often our go-to partner when we need to combine lighting with audio and video. We know we can rely on the team at SAW to deliver quality AV solutions that perfectly match our designs. Between us, we cover all the bases to present an innovative and impactful final product.”