LED Video Wall Installation at Orlando Science Center Café
We recently completed an exciting project featuring a stunning LED video wall at the newly redesigned café in the iconic Orlando Science Center, located near Downtown Orlando.
Back in September 2020, we shared early details about this collaboration, and since then, the project has evolved into something we’re incredibly proud of. The leadership at the Science Center wanted to completely rethink their museum café’s design, aiming to create an interactive learning space that serves food—not just a typical cafeteria. The result is a beautiful, engaging space that highlights Florida’s Food Heroes, in partnership with 4Rivers.
We were honored to contribute to this project, which brings together Orlando’s arts and educational communities. The Science Center team was fantastic to work with, and together, we designed the best possible solutions for their visitors. The project involved gutting the old café and transforming it into a dynamic learning environment, while still offering the comforts you expect from an eatery.
The collaboration with the 4Rivers team and their charity foundation, 4Roots, added another layer of meaning to the project. John Rivers, the founder, is on a mission to support farmers and educate people about food origins. The 4Roots Café at the Orlando Science Center embodies that mission, offering an inspiring and delicious experience for guests.
As tech enthusiasts with a passion for science and our hometown of Orlando, this project was especially close to our hearts. Be sure to visit the Orlando Science Center’s 4Roots Café and see the interactive LED video wall in action!
See DetailsSummary
Q-SYS Control System
Custom designed touch panel and iPad UI design to match their branding
Giant LED video wall in 2.6mm pixel pitch
Custom designed steel LED mount
Brightsign digital signage and media player
Video switching capabilities
Full range in-ceiling speakers & subwoofers
Full range pendant speakers & subwoofers
Wireless microphone system
High definition PTZ cameras
Touch panel & iPad for user controls
PC included for Ascend’s 24/7 Remote Help Desk
Details
The Vision
We worked with the museum leadership team to design an AV system to fit their unique needs. They dreamed of hosting Food Hero presentations in the café highlighting guest speakers from farms across Florida. These “Food Heroes” would teach children and adults about how food is grown, how to protect soil and bees, and so many more facets of Florida’s booming agriculture industry. They also wanted to have a space where outside groups could reserve a unique conference space for events. Mission accomplished!
The Design
The Ascend design team got to work on a modern control system that would tie together the video and audio components in an easy to use system for the end users. The system needed to be easy for the event staff to operate. We put together presents for the staff. With the press of a button on the included iPad, the staff can switch from the standard content for “day mode” to one of the “event” mode settings. This magic is made possible by the creative work of our programming team!
The Install
We kicked off the installation process with the speakers. In-ceiling style speakers and subwoofers were installed into drop ceiling tiles in the center of the café. Pendant style speakers and subwoofers were strung from aircraft cable in the back of the space with higher ceilings.
Next, we moved on to our favorite part – installing a full sized 42U rack with all of the fun stuff! A QSYS control system, network switch and all of the other hardware needed to make the full system work together seamlessly.
Lastly, we shifted to install the giant 10′ x 6.5′ LED video wall. This thing is a beauty! We started with the giant, custom-designed steel mount for the LED cabinets. The process of installing a video wall takes precision, attention to detail, craftsmanship and a whole lot of patience!
The Finished Product
The end result is a completely seamless AV system that non-technical staff members can easily operate! Our programmers do the heavy lifting before installation and it’s like magic! The client enjoys a robust sound system for their background music during “day mode”. And when they switch to one of their “event” modes, the presenters are heard with amazing clarity through the high quality mics and speakers. The high def PTZ cameras allow their presenters to be seen on the big screen from any where in the café. The star of the show is the beautiful LED video wall in the center of the space! The staff has received so much positive feedback from visitors enjoying the trivia and Food Hero videos on the LED screen during their visit to the café. That’s why we do what we do!