Ledon sets the scene for Expo 2008 with LED video façade

Ledon, the LED brand of the Zumtobel Group, has realised a pioneering LED installation for Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain. The “Wall of Africa” for the African pavilion was completed exactly on schedule for the opening of the world fair. As part of a contract worth EUR 350,000 for the Swiss exhibition stand designers and builders Nüssli, Ledon developed a spectacular LED video façade according to the conceptual design of Atelier Brückner over the past eight months. The project underlines the potential and the diversity of applications for light-emitting diodes.

Zumtobel Group CEO Andreas J. Ludwig explains: “This spectacular project in Zaragoza transforms light into a medium of communication with the observer. It also shows that there are no creative limits with LED technology. For an innovative brand like Ledon, it is essential to embrace new fields of LED application. Media façades are precisely one of the areas where we see great potential.”

Video façade as highlight of Expo 2008
Water is the central theme of Expo 2008, which will run from 14 June to 14 September 2008 in the Spanish city of Zaragoza. Around 100 different nations will be exhibiting solutions for the responsible use of this precious resource. The exposition site lies directly alongside Spain’s biggest river, the Ebro, and accommodates a total of 140 pavilions. In line with the exposition’s objective of promoting and continuously developing innovative technologies on a sustainable basis, the Group’s LED specialist created a 1500-square-metre LED video façade for the African pavilion. In addition to an almost 80-metre-high water tower, this ranks as one of the architectural highlights of the exhibition.

Climatic events brought to life by LED technology
In cooperation with Nüssli and the architects of Atelier Brückner, a concept with over 220,000 LEDs was developed, which is intended to visualise the theme of the exposition and bring it to life. The ability to control each pixel individually makes it possible to show a wide variety of light effects and videos with seamless transitions. In addition, arrays of semi-transparent plastic squares flexibly arranged on the façade flutter in the wind reminiscent of moving water. While technical information is communicated via the façade during the day, the video wall projects climatic events at the night such as thunder clouds and impressions of Africa’s landscapes, with its people, flora and fauna.