You’ll be able to check out more than fireworks in Columbus this July as the DāNite team works to install a brand new, one-of-a-kind, Electronic Message Center sign at 101 South High Street. Located in the heart of downtown, the sign will be sure to catch your attention especially considering its, soon to be, three-story stature. According to DāNite’s Senior Project Manager and Engineer, Michael Cox, “There are no other sign installations like this one in Central Ohio”.
Work on this EMC started three years ago and DāNite Sign Company was excited to partner with the Condominium Association, Lineheart Media, and the Schottenstein’s to further develop the sign idea. DāNite’s main role was in engineering the attachment of the sign. Installation will begin this Sunday, June 5th, and will be completed in early July.
Boxes and boxes full of LED boards wait at the DaNite warehouse for installation.
RGB LEDS
The sign has a three element design: a mesh video screen, a ticker, and a flat square ticker. The mesh screen is composed of 117 components and has translucent technology, which allows viewers on the inside of the building to see through the sign. The translucency also allows outside viewers to see through the sign when it is turned off. This remarkable construction technique works to preserve the architectural components of the building, which was built in 1920. Each LED light in the sign is positioned 23 mm apart, a typical matrix for billboards with LED lighting. What makes this sign truly unique is the fact that each LED light has an individual address which allows it to portray video, much like a television screen.
Sr Project Manager, Michael Cox, and Operations Manager, Bruce Tokar, discuss the the upcoming installation on Sunday.
The team plans to construct as much of the sign as possible in house, before delivery to the work site. This includes installing pre-wiring and jumpers into the 117 components. Once on site, Senior Project Manager Michael Cox states, “They will begin assembling the sign from the corners out, then proceed to build the sign up”. They will start this assembly through attaching galvanized steel to the building, in order to hold the weight of the entire sign structure.
As summer proceeds, watch out for a time lapse video showing the construction of this unique 1,411 square foot sign!
Written by: Emily Faler / DāNite Design Intern
Photos by: Jennifer Bender / DāNite Creative Director & Project Manager