“Opulent” Underwater Creative Developed As Refresh To LV Cosmopolitan’s Experiential Lobby
February 23, 2024 by Dave Haynes
One of the first, and still one of the best, experiential digital installations yet seen in this industry has had a major content refresh – with a new live-action creative piece now running on the monumental 16-foot-tall columns in the lobby of the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
The new work – called Opulence – was commissioned to the Montreal immersive design studio Float4, which shot the creative with live actors back in that city. The work runs on the LCD columns, as well as a long, wide band of tiled landscape displays behind the check-in counter.
A version of the work also runs atop the hotel on a big, flared LED band – called a Beacon – that is visible from the Strip.
The hotel lobby, designed by Rockwell Group, has been a prominent feature of the resort since The Cosmopolitan first opened in 2010. Eight monumental 16 foot tall columns, covered in digital displays, offer an unparalleled and visually captivating experience for visitors as they enter the resort. The reflective floors and ceiling serve to enhance the grandeur of the space, creating an illusion of expansiveness that feels larger than life. While the columns have stood the test of time, Float4 has brought new life into this iconic piece of media architecture.
The Opulence capsule, created in collaboration with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, is an opportunity to showcase the resort’s playful brand philosophy, as well as its commitment to art. Eileen Lemish, Vice President, Marketing Portfolio, MGM Resorts International, states “What Float4 has created within our lobby is stunning and adds a new dimension to The Cosmopolitan guest experience. Blending architecture and art through digital applications such as this captures the essence of our brand, as we create intriguing wow moments around every turn.”
Float4’s Creative Director, Sarah Ouellet, explains “Our goal was to capture the intangible feeling of entering The Cosmopolitan, where guests become a version of themselves they don’t see every day—a bolder, untamed version. The underwater theme was a visual metaphor of the hotel’s brand, echoing what happens under the surface and the pleasure of discovery.”
Underwater cinematography was essential for the project; performers from various backgrounds, including a synchronized swimmer, yoga instructor and dancers, were immersed in an underwater environment that allowed for a unique vulnerability and authenticity to shine through. This resulted in awe-inspiring performances that beautifully reflected the Opulence concept.
With over 60 talented individuals working on this project at different stages, Float4 ensured every aspect of the project was impeccably delivered. Aquamedias, a Montreal studio known for its expertise in underwater live action projects, played a crucial role in bringing the vision to life while ensuring a safe environment for the performers to express themselves.
What truly sets this project apart is the meticulous attention to detail given to each facade of the eight columns. Float4 designed distinct yet synchronized storylines for every face of each column, resulting in a harmonious story that plays throughout the lobby. With a colossal canvas of over 265 million pixels, Float4 leveraged cutting-edge technology and creative expertise for an impact that captivates and inspires guests.
Float4 founder Alexandre Simionescu adds “Creating content for a space of this scale presented its challenges, both technical and creative. With over 350 high-resolution displays spread across the eight columns, we had to adapt content production to the three-dimensional environment. Our approach was centered around amplifying the space and creating an experience that immerses guests in an audiovisual manifestation of the brand”
The Opulence capsule can also be enjoyed in other parts of The Cosmopolitan, namely on the 75 foot display spanning the length of the registration area in the lobby as well as on the Beacon atop the hotel, lighting up the Las Vegas skyline.
Hat tip to The Cosmopolitan for developing what would have been a very substantial budget to do what is either an addition to the existing set of pieces, or a refresh. What was on the columns when I was last through there in December was pretty much what’s been on there since the hotel opened. It would be hard to argue, I think, that the material looked dated.
This will be competing for experiential awards with the outputs from a couple of other Montreal creative studios that also do this stunning, high-end work – Moment Factory and Gentilhomme. There are, of course, great creative teams all over the world – like d’strict in Seoul and Instronic near Barcelona – but Montreal is definitely a world capital for this kind of work.
Some industry friends pretty much make the bar right next to the Cosmo lobby their late evening home during trade shows, so I suspect I’ll see this in June during InfoComm.
Leave a comment