Disparate events are held at different facilities at different times of the year, so wayfinding information frequently needs to be updated.
Perfecting the specs
When choosing hardware for the system, meanwhile, the goal was to balance the need to support the relatively hefty weight of the internal digital components while still appearing sleek and understated—i.e. modern and dynamic, yet unobtrusive.
Entro specified 3-m (9.8-ft) tall aluminum structures, adorned only with a simplified version of the Exhibition Place logo, to showcase 1.2 x 1.8-m (4 x 6-ft) light-emitting diode (LED) screens with 6-mm (0.24-in.) pixel pitch. The screen size would be large enough to provide suitable visibility for drivers in motion, while the fine pixel pitch would ensure appropriate resolution and readability for pedestrians at a closer distance.
“We went through several iterations of our schematic designs, looking at different paint samples until we found the right grey metallic shade that worked well with the surroundings, with a flake that reduced its shininess,” says Bozovic. “Once we specified what we thought was most appropriate, we ran on-site tests with a variety of LED screens from different manufacturers.”
With the project timeline involving several years of development, one challenge was keeping up with advances in LED technology.
“As each year went by, we looked into new LED screen tests, because the technology was changing and getting better with time,” Bozovic says.
It was MLSE, owner of the Toronto FC, that originally approached Entro to discuss the possibility of digital directional signs.
WSI Sign Systems of Bolton, Ont., built the aluminum enclosures, including a sample cabinet for test-fitting the screens. Media Resources International (MRI) of Oakville, Ont., was selected to provide screens using its proprietary LEDs—which reportedly offer a maximum of 3,500 nits of brightness—and to handle on-site installation of the cabinets. They were installed in fall 2016, with the last one set up that December.
“They were fired up in time for the new year and Exhibition Place started using them right away,” says Bozovic.
Meanwhile, the municipal government had asked for all of the older ‘temporary’ signs to be removed if located within 9 m (30 ft) of the new permanent signs’ locations, as one of its goals with the project was to reduce on-site clutter.
“They still have a few of those static signs left, in cases where they’re not close to the digital pylons,” says Bozovic. “There are also still event banners and other temporary signs, which our wayfinding system is not meant to replace.”
With files from Entro. For more information, visit www.entro.com.
