By DCist contributor Evan Caplan
Tufted clouds above in a gorgeous blue sky, blooming trees all around. Brilliant blossoms sway in the breeze, sun-kissed and resplendent. You stop. Is that a butterfly? Why yes, it is. It’s also the dead of a D.C. summer, 95 and humid, and you’re surrounded by cherry blossoms.
This is the conceit of the stunning new motion-activated digital wall art installation at Chinatown’s Terrell Place office building, across from the Metro entrance on 7th Street NW. Almost 2,000 square feet of a multi-sensory experience demonstrates D.C. living year-round—and the installation is permanent, so you can keep coming back. While the cherry blossoms are more or less relegated to the tourists, it’s for the local set that these little guys bloom for this time.
Originally the Hecht’s department store—the site of a lunch counter protest—the building was named for 1950s civil rights activist Mary Church Terrellin 2004, after it was combined with the two buildings next door. There is also a memorial to Terrell, which was updated during the recent renovation.
But it is the hallway that shines—quite literally. The designers combined the huge, open lobby spaces for one undulating digital experience, using all available wall and ceiling space that office-goers and passersby interact with.
When the cherry blossoms are out, branches move when people pass by. So during morning and afternoon rushes, the branches are all a-flutter. When a viewer stops for a more in-depth perusal, butterflies appear, playfully interacting with the space. Hallways between the two main lobby spaces play ambient natural-style tunes, as well as music that Terrell herself listened to, like “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn and Deep River—24 Negro Melodies by Samuel Coleridge Taylor.
The digital displays change throughout the day, though, so it’s not always those iconic blossoms. At other hours, viewers see patterns of interwoven “threads,” a sort of e-tapestry that change colors and reflects the flow of people within the space. They also show emblematic D.C. buildings and statues, as well as various modes of transport that travel when the hidden infrared cameras pick up movement. If only the streetcar took off that easily.
“The different media create distinct rhythms to give Terrell Place a unique identity and strong street presence,” says Michael Schneider, senior creative technology designer at ESI Design, which came up with the display. “We wanted to engage with the community both within the building and in the neighborhood.” In fact, only a few modes are playing now; others will premiere moving forward—and the D.C. nature scenes will change with the seasons.
One office worker also sung its praises: “Spring is my favorite time of year but tough to get to the Tidal Basin too much. It’s intriguing, and such a pleasant experience when I walk in from the disgusting heat outside.”
Terrell Place, Washington DC from ESI Design on Vimeo.
