NYC's Port Authority Terminal to be giant media facade

May 11, 2011 by Dave Haynes

Hat tip to OOH-TV for flagging this …

You’d have to think Times Square is pretty much wall-papered with LEDs and there’s not much else to slap a digital ad onto … so A2AMedia has gone a few blocks west and done a deal to surround much of the New York Port Authority Terminal with an LED curtain that runs ads. The thing is supposed to spark up by the end of next month.

Through a partnership with Garage-Media, A2aMEDIA will install and operate a Media-mesh display “to provide a long-term aesthetic upgrade to the terminal, and exciting advertising opportunities for a variety of regional and national businesses.”

“The display will cover approximately 6,000 square feet of Port Authority’s façades on 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, with an additional 25,000 square feet of architectural lighting that will be color-coordinated with its visual messaging.”

The Mediamesh is a variation on an LED board except these are not LED display blocks, but instead something of a curtain that’s largely transparent.

A2aMEDIA’s Mediamesh installations combine the technology of digital billboard media, the excitement and flexibility of online media, and the visual appeal of broadcast media to deliver a powerful viewer experience. Mediamesh consists of patented stainless-steel architectural woven mesh panels, imbedded with premium LEDs, which deliver high resolution motion graphics for civic, entertainment, and advertising purposes. The transparency and breathability of the innovative “woven metal curtain mesh” will preserve the external view of the terminal’s unique architectural elements.

Additionally, using 80 percent less power than conventional LED displays, Mediamesh is significantly more environmentally friendly than traditional LED display products. Mediamesh was invented, patented and is manufactured by GKD (Duren, Germany) and ag4 (Cologne, Germany).

The Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue has a bazillion buses going in and out of it daily, and the media audience is estimated at what I assume is a duplicated 1 million people a day.

The media platform, which provides up to 70 percent transparency, will be installed over the face of the terminal, and will allow bus emissions to pass easily through the display, ensuring the safety of bus riders and Port Authority employees. Simultaneously, the media façade will display digital media content that will be seen and enjoyed from the sidewalk and street. The bold color and large format images will appear to float over the surface of the terminal.

I like. Huge eyeball counts and none of the kaleidoscopic distraction of Times Square. Yes it’s all commuters and day-trippers on those buses, but there’s so many of them. And they probably have more money than New Yorkers whose incomes go to paying the crazy rent prices.

Photos: A2aMEDIA and GKD-USA