Comcast Technology Center

dandelion + burdock were honoured to work with world-renowned American neo-conceptual Artist Jenny Holzer and SACO on “For Philadelphia”, a digital video art installation, that runs along the ceiling of Comcast Technology Center.

Jenny Holzer presents writing by poets, architects, visionaries, and children as a site-specific installation of nine electronic displays built for the Winter Garden ceiling. The custom installation measures a total of 2,152 linear feet and is separated into 9 thin lines, designed specifically to display crawling, animated text and video backgrounds.

We developed a custom web application to allow Jenny and her team to create, edit and curate fluid text animations to run across the massive LED canvas. These animations are loaded into the disguise media server via the web module. Our application sends OSC messages to move onto the next chapter once the text has run across the entire installation.

Holzer proposed an artwork to echo the spirit, history, and diversity of Philadelphia and beyond by drawing content from resident and international writers, from archives, and from contributions by local students. Now text flows across the electronics in a range of colors and effects to mirror and amplify the voices represented on the art.

The electronics span the Center between 18th and 19th Streets, providing multiple viewing points from the Winter Garden and the escalators, as well as from the street through Foster+Partners’ transparent architecture. At night, the Center’s glass walls offer seemingly infinite reflections of the artwork. The content is to be updated periodically to provide Comcast visitors, employees, and the Philadelphia community with text from all over the city and the world.

SACO specially made a 6.34mm pixel pitch to fit in between the architectural ceiling wood slats that travel the entire length of the lobby and traverses the escalator area. SACO went event further to create custom greyed out contrast plates and a bespoke low profile, discreet mounting system to seamlessly integrate into the building’s unique architecture and design.