AT&T Discovery District
2021 | Dallas, Texas
Corporate headquarters, redefined.
Located in the core of central Dallas, this project revitalized AT&T's underutilized corporate headquarters and transformed it into a vast, immersive mixed-use urban nexus.
The central plaza combines multiple interconnected media architecture platforms, theater, dining, and retail to create a public entertainment attraction and beacon of energy and excitement.
Intricately coordinated programming sets a new bar for urban placemaking while promoting AT&T media partners' properties and creating new growth for surrounding hotels, restaurants, local businesses, and the nearby convention center.
13th Eye Principal Jay Ho, then at Gensler, led technical production oversight of all digital experience elements, aligning third-party partners and trades to the central design vision. He also spearheaded Gensler's experience design of the Globe immersive sculpture.
Recognition:
Greater Dallas Planning Council 2021 Urban Design -
Built Project Award: Winner
Internation Design Awards, 2020 - Interior Design or Commercial: Silver Winner
GDEA 2021: Winner
AV Awards 2022 - Corporate Project of the Year: Finalist
Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence 2022: Finalist
Partners:
Design - Gensler
Media Production - Moment Factory
AV Integration - Ford AV, Electrosonic
Globe Experience Production - Float4
Sound Design - Man Made Music
The District features a 104ft (32m) tall 6k dvLED media wall, a 30ft (9m) interactive sculpture, a two-story immersive lobby, LED media trellis, over 100 zoned speakers, and nearly 200 addressible ground lights. At key moments, all of these elements can render tightly coordinated media for "digital takeover" moments of stunning effect.
The Globe immersive sculpture sits on a rotating turntable, allowing it to function as a bandstand during special events. Normally, it functions as an interactive piece that invites participants to move and dance inside. A dynamic music soundtrack is remixed according to the energy level within, and lighting responds with hypnotic animations.
The headquarters' lobby features a media experience featuring a dvLED wall, two-story columns of dvLED, animated ceiling, and immersive sound. Showcasing the work of artists as well as the content campaigns of AT&T's media partners, the platform enables the company to maximally amplify its brand in its own house.
Video credit: Moment Factory