18montrose
Project: Dynamic Retail Installation (fashion store and product launch)
Location: King’s Cross, London
Spec: 12 Dataton Watchpax running 132 NEC MultiSync X464UNV-2screens
Images: Luke Dyson
Dataton Watchout drives London’s largest digital install in Kings Cross at 18Montrose store near Granary Square.
Designer and streetwear fashion retailer 18montrose launched its flagship store at 6-8 Stable Street, King’s Cross in July 2017.
The new store and installation offers catwalk shows, product launches and musical performances, as well as brands including Stone Island, Adidas Statement Footwear, CP Company, Stone Island, Common Projects and Maison Margiela.
Systems integrator, Multimedia Plus, supplied the technical specification, solution and installation expertise for the project, coordinating with key suppliers, Mirage Associates (who provided Dataton Watchout and onsite support) and NEC.
Guy Ferguson, Creative Technologist at Multimedia Plus comments: “This dynamic retail installation comprises 3 aisles, lined with 18 screens on each side, plus a bank of 20 screens at the end of each aisle.
“We programmed Dataton Watchout to run the complex video content that ran during the launch event—and because this is a permanent installation, we’re remotely programming new content on an on-going basis.
“The brief was to transform the space into a retail-nightclub hybrid, with maximum flexibility of content. This is dictated by the event (there are several parties a month, with different sponsors) or the featured brand (store content changes, so the video content must change too). The screens can be controlled from one console, either on site or remotely over LAN.”
The permutations are endless in this dynamic installation which blurs the border between fashion store, gallery and showroom. Each of the 132 screens can show different content, or all screens can show the same content to give a seamless visual experience, or the two variations can be combined to suit. This flexible solution allows the store to create a brand zone, a number of screens specific to the clothes or footwear on display and thus a perfect, dedicated, advertising space.
“A retail environment is different from events,” adds Ferguson. “For a typical wide screen installation, the audience is several metres away from the screens, but here everyone’s up close, so resolution is critical. I reckon we’re pushing over 186 million pixels!”
The technical bit:
- Each of the WATCHPAX 4 media servers, is pushing content to sixteen NEC MultiSync 46″ LED displays. (The media servers must be robust to handle the day and evening event usage.)
- Behind the scenes, you’ll find Dataton’s award-winning WATCHOUT multi-display production and playback system driving WATCHPAX 4 & WATCHPAX 2 display servers.
Ferguson concludes: “With this high-profile installation there are, of course, great demands on reliability, but with industrial-grade components, these servers are ideal for us to deliver a reliable and highly flexible system.”