Continental HQ, Hannover

STREAM: The Empowering SourceHannover, Germany

@Uniplan + Henn Architects

ScenographyCreative TechnologyLED SculptureUnity VFXInteraction DesignDigital Fabrication
Continental HQ Hannover STREAM LED Sculpture

The challenge was to stage the tagline from Continental ‘Future in Motion’ – The vision, drive, values, behavior, and standards in one concentrated and emotional expression.

Thus, the Foyer space acted as the showcase for the cutting-edge technology and innovation. ‘Stream’ is the flagbearer, the empowering source to the people and spirit of the company. It interacts, empowers and reflects the progress through movement.

**Scenography & Behavior:** The ‘Stream’ being the empowering source, not just has to be a sculpture that mesmerizes its surroundings, but it also must act with a personality, one like an Organism, a Spirit. Thus, the scenography needed it to behave differently throughout the day. Starting with a calm awakening to empower itself from the coming visitors and later becoming a charged spirit to radiate the joyful aura by the evening. At night, it again calmed down to a resting state like an organism.

**Facts at a Glance:** - Dimensions: 10m x 1.5m x 1.5m - LEDs: ≈ 370,000 - Pixels/PCBs: ≈ 61,000 - Max Energy/hr: 42.6 KW - General usage/Day: 300 KWH (Enough for 1600 KM in an electric car) - Max Brightness: 6000 Nits - Hardware Apparatus: 496x micro controllers, 28x micro computer modules, 1x Render Server - Software Apparatus: Unity Game engine, ARTNET connect, Custom IP protocols

**Content Modules:** 14 VFX modules: 6x Ambient Module, 6x Highlights & 2x Transitions. Development of Modules with VFX graphs in Unity, fitting into the scenographic timeline.

**Involvement:** - Foyer area Scenography - Exhibition design and execution - Interaction Design and sensorics - Content Programming for LED sculpture “Stream”

STREAM: The Empowering Source

The challenge was to stage the tagline from Continental ‘Future in Motion’ – The vision, drive, values, behavior, and standards in one concentrated and emotional expression. Thus, the Foyer space acted as the showcase for the cutting-edge technology and innovation. ‘Stream’ is the flagbearer, the empowering source to the people and spirit of the company. It interacts, empowers and reflects the progress through movement.

Continental HQ Hannover STREAM LED Sculpture

STREAM: The Empowering Source - Realized Results

Scenography & Behavior

The ‘Stream’ being the empowering source, not just has to be a sculpture that mesmerizes its surroundings, but it also must act with a personality, one like an Organism, a Spirit. Thus, the scenography needed it to behave differently throughout the day. Starting with a calm awakening to empower itself from the coming visitors and later becoming a charged spirit to radiate the joyful aura by the evening. At night, it again calmed down to a resting state like an organism.

Facts at a Glance

A massive digital installation with state-of-the-art hardware and custom software apparatus: - Dimensions: 10m x 1.5m x 1.5m - LEDs: ≈ 370,000 - Pixels/PCBs: ≈ 61,000 - Max Energy/hr: 42.6 KW - General usage/Day: 300 KWH - Max Brightness: 6000 Nits

Technical specifications and dimensions

Hardware and software apparatus details

LED PCB layout and wiring diagram

Render server and control system architecture

Unity game engine integration and ARTNET connection

STREAM: Facts at a Glance & Technical Overview

Content Modules

14 VFX modules: 6x Ambient Module, 6x Highlights & 2x Transitions. Development of Modules with VFX graphs in Unity, fitting into the scenographic timeline.

Content Modules

VFX Content Modules (Live Demos)

Real-time simulations of the Unity VFX graphs running on the digital twin:

Click to play with sound

VFX Content Module 1 - Ambient

Click to play with sound

VFX Content Module 2 - Highlights

Click to play with sound

VFX Content Module 3 - Transitions

Insights & Assembly

Modularization in 28 clusters for better reparability and troubleshooting. LED PCBs were digitally fabricated in China but all the manual assembly, copper soldering and testing was done in Germany.

Test setup with 540 LEDs

Assembly design of microcontrollers and casing

Pre-final assembly at MKT HQ

Final assembly and testing on site with 75% brightness

Results

The final realized installation in the Continental HQ foyer in Hannover, Germany.

Realized Stream sculpture in the Continental HQ foyer

The sculpture interacting with the foyer environment