View Boston is an expansive 59,000-square-foot immersive observation deck nestled within Boston’s iconic Prudential Center. It blends breathtaking views with experiential elements and includes features such as immersive elevators, 359-degree rotatable virtual viewers, LED touchscreens, a projection-mapped 3D model and a 270-degree immersive theatre.
Supported by cutting-edge data-collecting systems, View Boston revolutionizes the guest journey, offering an interactive planning tool that seamlessly connects visitors to the city with the creation of a personalized ViewPrint itinerary.
As guests explore, they engage with experiential technologies to gain insights into specific locations and seamlessly incorporate them into their personal itineraries. Accessibility was a fundamental goal, with technology carefully designed and integrated to ensure the experience was inclusive for every guest.
The ‘journey’ begins in the security holding area where guests preview projected Boston highlights before embarking on an immersive elevator experience. Equipped with 14 55-inch displays and synchronized audio, a sophisticated user experience design showcases unique Boston sights and sounds while creating the sensation of the elevator ascending through clouds.
Upon reaching the 52nd floor, massive windows reveal spectacular views of the skyline. Here, ten interactive virtual viewers are available, each equipped with 32-inch Viewfinder touchscreens mounted on a 359-degree rotatable base, empowering guests to pinpoint specific city locations. As guests view a location on-screen, the dynamic interface displays animations, illustrations and other informative content relevant to the chosen location.
Guests can then easily scan their ticket to add the selected location to their ‘itinerary’ via a barcode reader. For visually impaired guests, four inclusive touch-based installations featuring audio description provide similar viewfinding, location information and itinerary-building facilities.
On the 50th floor, guests encounter Boston 365 – a remarkable 50-foot-wide 3D scale model of the city. Immersive storytelling brings the model to life with 12 looped animations and projection mapping from 31 projectors synchronized with audio from 10 speakers, celebrating Boston’s highlights.
As each story unfolds, the model paints a changing Boston tapestry with stunning colors, imagery and animation depicting seasonal content and iconic events such as the Boston Marathon and Boston Pride.
The complex projection mapping required extensive testing and close collaboration with projection and media server partners to ensure accurate synchronization and alignment of content across all displays – and from different viewing angles.
Guests then discover the city in more detail at Explore Boston. 14 accessible 85-inch touchscreens with integrated directional speakers provide location-specific information for itinerary choices.
At the Open Doors 270-degree theater, six projectors and a nine-speakers integrate to deliver a cinematic experience in 18k resolution, featuring diverse city locations. Five accessible touchscreen posters allow guests to easily add these locations to their itinerary post show.
In the Finale space, guests finalize their itineraries at one of 12 kiosks equipped with 32-inch LED touchscreens, barcode readers and speakers. Once complete, a 17-tile videowall showcases a unique moniker personal to the destinations they selected.
View Boston enhances Boston’s overall identity encouraging deeper explorations of its attractions with an accessible design to ensures a diverse audience can connect with the city and immerse themselves in its rich culture and heritage.
As experiential technology consultants, Electrosonic took responsibility for system integration, detailed engineering and specialty projection.
partners
Throughout the project’s lifecycle, collaboration with the client Boston Properties, design teams and partners Christie Digital, Float4, JRA, Lightborne, Nanolumens and 7th Sense were essential to meet the technical challenges and realize the vision and creative intent.
Electrosonic assumed responsibility for blue sky technology concepts, audiovisual and control system design and Technology Master Planning™ in support of the creative team. Additionally, the company managed detailed engineering, system integration, project management and training to ensure the project’s timely completion.