Global asset management firm AllianceBernstein (AB) recently unveiled its new, 189,000-square-foot office in New York City’s Hudson Yards. Located in The Spiral skyscraper, the interior spans four floors with outdoor terraces on each level and includes an open floor plan with mixed-use meeting areas, event space, and communal work cafés.
The AB team retained global architecture firm Gensler to design the office, and worked with them to help create a workplace aesthetic inspired by New York City’s vibrant energy. As described by Gensler, the new space is a fully integrated digital-physical experience that reflects the firm’s commitment to innovation and adaptability, as well as its leadership navigating the evolving digital landscape.
The Dreamwall
This vision comes to life in AB’s Client Reception Hub, where a 30-foot-wide and 9-foot-high Planar DirectLight Pro Series LED video wall with a 1.2mm pixel pitch serves as a living art piece. Known as the Dreamwall, the installation harnesses AI to generate ever-changing visual content. A meticulously trained AI engine generates digitally sourced, visually captivating, and brand-aligned imagery that unfurls approximately every 2 minutes, according to Gensler.
The AI system was developed through a creative process that involved curating over 12,000 images to define an algorithmic approach consistent with AB’s brand identity. The Dreamwall also incorporates custom TouchDesigner effects and LIDAR motion sensing, enabling it to respond to human movement in real time. And by pressing the “next” button, users can manually prompt the next dreamscape.
Bruce Manning, associate principal at Cerami and Associates, was the project consultant responsible for the AV design. “Resolution was critical with the Dreamwall because everything being generated is resolution-dependent,” he said. “In addition to interactive experiential design, the Dreamwall also functions as a presentation system. It integrates in the space like a natural extension of the architecture.”
Beautiful and Built to Last
A second Planar LED array—a nearly 36-foot-wide, 7-foot-high Planar DirectLight Ultra Series LED video wall with a 0.9mm pixel pitch—was installed in a nearby multipurpose room. With the video wall able to be split into multiple configurations, the display provides a flexible, high-resolution LED canvas for supporting uses such as presentations, meetings, or Microsoft Teams applications, according to Joe Hakiem, senior project manager with Forte’, which performed the video wall integrations.
“The Planar LED video walls blend perfectly with the beautiful interior design, bringing the space to life,” Hakiem said. “I’ve been working with Planar for nearly 10 years, and every project delivers the customizations, brightness, and clarity that the client expects.”
The Dreamwall also functions as a presentation system. It integrates into the space like a natural extension of the architecture.
Bruce Manning
According to Manning, the Planar LED video walls provide flexibility and connectivity between the systems to meet the client’s needs. “They can accommodate a wide range of events—from trainings and receptions to banquets and TED-style talks,” he said.
With the new office located on the 24th floor, Manning stressed the importance of proper mounting to safeguard the video wall systems from the natural sway of high-rise buildings over time, which can cause seams and cracks or damage components. “We brought in rp Visual Solutions [based in Anaheim, California] to design structural mounts—and in close coordination with Planar and Forte, the displays were engineered for long-term reliability,” he said.
Hakiem emphasized how, as is the case with every Planar project, the manufacturer’s logistics and team support were critical to the timely completion of the AB installation. “This was a high-profile project with a very tight deadline, and it required a lot of coordination across the trades in order to deliver on time,” he said. “That’s where Planar really excels. The flexibility and assistance they provide is what sets them apart.”
