Turning a wall into a urban entertainment

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Madrid City Council saw an opportunity to put digital technology to use in the city. It contracted Langarita Navarro Architects to conceive and design an ‘LED Action Façade’. The idea was to construct a large digital screen that could be easily positioned on the side of the building, enabling the city to display a range of media.

Philips Color Kinetics was ideal for the job. Consisting of a matrix of RGB LEDs, it can easily be used to make a viewing device with adaptable geometry. The team utilised this technology to create a large color screen, which can be set to display the work of artists and designers around the world. And because the screen is interactive, it can be used for fun public contests and games.

The project was a success on all fronts. The screen is regularly used to display the digital talents of young people, and locals can play interactive games on the screen as their friends watch. The result is that the bustling square in Plaza de las Letras has become a major attraction, and more people want to live in the neighbourhood.

For as long as the LED Action Façade is in operation, one thing is certain: the traditional ‘madrileño’ wall will come to life in an extremely beautiful way, time and again.