Nanolumens installed four direct-view LED display solutions in San Antonio International Airport. The project includes a flat-panel display above the B-Side entrance to the baggage claim zone, a column wrap within the baggage claim zone and a ribbon display above the TSA check-in area.
The project was commissioned by Lamar Airport Advertising, which recently won a bid for advertising rights at SAT. The new LED signage replaced older LCD-based digital signage and static signage.
The rectangular flat panel display measures 14.96 feet wide by 5.91 feet high and a resolution of 1824x720. The column wrap is 6.44 feet tall with an exterior circumference of 11.86 feet with a resolution is 1440x780. The ribbon display is 33.07 feet wide and 2.46 feet high with a resolution of 4032x300.
Each of the display features a 2.5mm pixel pitch and all are used almost exclusively for advertising content. The specific locations for each display were chosen because they are high-traffic areas where passengers also exhibit high dwell time.
Eric Siegler, global sales manager for airports and transportation for Nanolumens, said there are a lot of unconventional spaces at the airport. The baggage claim area doesn’t have a lot of big, flat surfaces, so designers had to get creative to make screens viewable from multiple angles.
“Nanolumens used our flexible 2.5mm product to wrap a column, so there’s a 360-degree cylinder that’s wrapped around a column that’s structurally needed for the airport,” he said. “It’s a great use for a non-traditional space in an airport for a digital advertising asset.”
The fourth display of the project is shaped like a quatrefoil, a four-lobed geometric shape, which is culturally important for the San Antonio region. The display measures 5.51 feet wide by 5.41 feet high with a resolution of 672x660. It’s meant to be a brand for the city as well as a digital asset.
The SAT installation took about two weeks to complete. Work was performed at night during low traffic times. It was completed in August.
Siegler said one reason Nanolumens was chosen for the project was its direct view LED signage technology. The main level atrium of the terminal is extremely bright, so the signage can shine through the ambient light without ruining image quality.
“The modern-day airport is using a lot less artificial light and a lot more true sunlight coming in through canopies or floor to ceiling windows,” he said. “There’s a lot of competing light in the space. Direct view LED can power through all that.”
Direct view LED is increasingly popular in the airport space because of the quality of the image and lower maintenance cost during the life of the sign compared to legacy signage. Siegler said it’s a free-form technology, so they can build a variety of custom structures.
“Technology is something that all airports are looking at upgrading,” he said. “Finding technology that not only is relevant today but keep them relevant in the future is important to them. Direct view LED is one of those technologies they embrace because of the lifespan, because of the relevancy and because of the cool factor.
Siegler recommended airports get companies like Nanolumens involved in the early stages when considering direct view LED installation. They understand the technology and can map out what they will need ahead of the infrastructure and design work.
Airports should also understand how people will move through their terminal.
“If you have a good understanding of where people will dwelling, bottlenecking and stopping, maybe there’s a way signage can eliminate those hang ups,” Siegler said. “People are using big digital signage up high in a space that was traditionally crowded because people needed to make a decision to go left or right and it wasn’t very clear with static signage.
