On New Year’s Eve, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre (NAC) unveiled the Kipnes Lantern, a three-storey glass tower showcasing what is reportedly the largest transparent light-emitting diode (LED) screen in North America.
Vancouver-based ClearLED provided the screen portions for the four sides of the Lantern, as well as four smaller ‘fin’ screens along the building’s Elgin Street façade. Productions from the arts complex’s four stages and from performing arts organizations across Canada will be displayed, along with digital shorts created by Montreal-based Moment Factory, which is known for large-scale projection mapping (see video).
“The see-through screen technology complements the transparency of the new public wings that enwrap the NAC and provide connection with downtown Ottawa and views of nearby landmarks,” says Donald Schmitt, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, which oversaw the NAC’s $225-million rejuvenation.
