NEC NEC020511 User guide

Applications at the forefront of technology
600 Westis a landmark downtown Chicago building designed as a technologically
advanced contemporary office space for nearly any business.
the challenge
600 West was looking to convey the building’s 21st century philosophy in the
design of its lobby.
“We wanted to set the tone of a building that gives people what they desire today
– greater access to information,” said Paul Fishbein, vice president of Amerimar
Enterprises, the management agent for 600 West. “We felt that a grand space like
a lobby was the perfect place to have offline activity, where people could sit down
and catch up on world events and where we could tastefully provide signage
opportunities to promote tenants within the building.”
600 West and Gensler, the building’s architectural and design firm, decided that
building a video wall in the lobby would accomplish this goal. Due to the building’s
eight-story atrium, 600 West sought a technology that would enable wide off-
access viewing angles so people on the upper floors can look down into the lobby
and still be able to clearly see the images on the video wall. They additionally
wanted a solution that would create significant visual impact and motion to the
lobby while taking up a minimal amount of real estate.
600 West

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
All specifications subject to change without notice.
NEC Solutions (America), Inc.
Visual Systems Division
1250 Arlington Heights Rd., Suite 400
Itasca, IL 60143-1248
“The off-access
viewing of the plasmas
is exceptional...
Visually, it creates a
lot of excitement in the
building!”
the solution
600 West decided to go with a matrix of NEC plasma monitors in the lobby to
display cable news, traffic reports, and transportation schedules to the building’s
tenants. Plasma was the only technology available that would solve the problem of
off-access viewing, due to its 160-degree horizontal and vertical angles, while
keeping the project within budget.
Twelve NEC 12-inch plasmas were installed on a curved wall, in the lobby at the
atrium’s floor, and matrixed together using a video wall processor. With the
processor, a wide variety of display options became available, ranging from one
image spanning all twelve screens; to twelve different channels playing on the 12
displays simultaneously. The video wall became the centerpiece of the lounge with
several chairs and couches.
A great advantage of the NEC plasmas was the thin bezel, which is a major
consideration in matrix applications, and the ability to lock out the controls on the
front of the plasma so that passersbys are prevented from tampering with the
displays.
the benefits
600 West tenants and visitors now have instant access to the latest news, traffic
reports, public transit schedules, and schedules for the private 600 West shuttle
service. Also, due to the NEC plasma wall’s thin profile, 600 West was able to
conserve valuable space and enhance its contemporary decor.
The matrix is programmed to run without human intervention from 6 a.m. to 10
p.m. every business day. Input jacks can be accessed at the front of the video wall,
so that the video wall can be used for presentations or to run video, DVDs and
other source material.
With its impressive image, sleek design, and ability to provide several types of
information simultaneously, the plasma wall is a focal point for tenants throughout
the building, and serves to promote the building to potential new tenants.
“The off-access viewing of the plasmas is exceptional. I can go out to the railing
from our offices on the fifth floor, look down, and see exactly what’s on,” said
Fishbein. “Visually, it creates a lot of excitement in the building!”
NEC 020511