Top of the Rock becomes the destination on the East Coast
January 4, 2006 —The new 70-story-high observation deck atop Rockefeller Center recently reopened following a $75 million renovation, and includes comprehensive exhibit graphics, a new signage program and comprehensive wayfinding signage and graphics created by Pasadena-based Hunt Design. Hunt Design, a leading graphic designer for buildings, spaces and places, recently teamed with a powerful group of designers and architects to create what will certainly become a center stage attraction on the East Coast. The new Top of the Rock attraction boasts more that just a thrilling elevator ascent and panoramic views of the city, it houses a new multimedia presentation comprised of digitized art, historical photos and artifacts, dramatic super-graphic walls, special effects, sounds and voices, lighting and video projection.
“Rockefeller Center is now one of New York’s premier historical destinations,” said Wayne Hunt, founding principal of Hunt Design, adding, “Top of the Rock is much more than a tour – it’s an experiencebeyond compare.”
The attraction and exhibition, culminating in views from its dramatic open-air deck 850 feet above the street, set its goals on being more than simply a view from an observation deck. Top of the Rock was envisioned as an all-encompassing historical experience. Hunt worked along side the project creative director, Bob Weis, of Bob Weis Design Island Associates.
As Hunt Design’s third such destination venue — having designed sky deck attractions at Sears Tower and the New York World Trade Center — the design team’s effective use of immersive graphics and displays demonstrate how visuals play a critical role in creating an attraction’s overall experience. In the case of Top of the Rock, the mural’s visually dynamic collages were designed specifically to help tell the rich story of Rockefeller Center — the people, architecture, surrounding area and points of interest are all captured on a contemporary, curved “architectural canvas,” skewed from guests’ perspective. Additionally, text, headlines, artifacts, quotes and personal anecdotes complement the visuals throughout the exhibition. Other design elements include digital graphics and state-of-the-art plasma screens, which add another dimension and further the exhibit’s storytelling.
“The murals help to place visitors inside history,” added Jennifer Bressler, principal and project director at Hunt Design. “As visitors move thru history, their knowledge grows and they find themselves reliving events that took place during the plethora of events surrounding Rockefeller Center.”
“Our goal was to incorporate the latest entertainment design techniques to create a rich, multi-dimensional exhibition,” added Bob Weis, principal of Bob Weis Design Island. “The environment is an example of melding history and storytelling using state-of-the-art entertainment technology.”
Top of the Rock’s state-of-the-art exhibits, along with more traditional display columns, are deftly set into the classic 1930s architecture and design elements of the building. They tell visitors the dramatic and uplifting story of how Rockefeller Center was created, defying powerful economic setbacks in the midst of the Depression, and rose to world prominence in broadcasting, international business and the arts.
“Top of the Rock is a great example of collaborative design by team-player experts,” added Hunt.
Hunt Design was part of a virtuoso team of creative entertainment firms that joined forces to design, engineer and install the media and exhibits at Top of the Rock. Under contract to Tishman Speyer, members of this team are independent companies from both the East and West coasts. Through modern communications, they collaborated on the project as closely and effectively as if they had shared an office in Rockefeller Center.
“We wanted the history and culture of New York to be as much a part of the displays as the building itself,” added Weis. “The exhibit is a tableau of elements working in unison to present a timeless and eloquent visualization of a unique time and place.”
Visuals are available upon request.
Contact:
Todd Hays
TODD Public Relations
626.345.0255
[email protected]