Elation at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Centre
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Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers fans know all about the massive configurable display that is described as the most technologically advanced arena scoreboard in the world. The world’s first 4K kinetic centre-hung entertainment system, the new scoreboard has become a huge part of the fan experience.
The new scoreboard is the latest step in Wells Fargo Centre's extensive renovation plan, a $250m multi-year transformation of the arena that began in 2017. Completed in collaboration with Comcast Spectacor, TAIT Kinetix and ANC Sports, the scoreboard features the ability to expand and compress into a variety of formats during the course of a game, splashing the action across more than 6,600 sq.ft of 4mm LED video. Complementing the display are two large crown trusses designed to create a captivating experience with multi-directional movement and lighting effects.
“A scoreboard and complementary lighting package was needed to service all these different groups,” said Light Action’s Joshua Schulman, who was responsible for design of the new lighting system. “The Flyers and 76ers used to have their own individual lighting systems but with this new package there is now one system that works for all teams. The lighting system needed to be flexible but beyond that, with so much LED in the arena in the form of billboards and ribbons, brightness was key. The scoreboard itself is an enormous LED display so we needed fixtures that could fight through all that and still have power behind them.”
Another point Schulman stressed from the very beginning as far as the design concept was the idea of layers of light. In the arena’s previous lighting system, which he also designed, all the lighting came from up top in the catwalk. “One of the things we wanted to do in this new design was create light from all different angles, sort of a modern dance concept with layers of light.” To realise the vison, he chose a package that includes Elation Artiste Monet, Smarty Hybrid, Protron Eclypse and Platinum Beam 5R Extreme luminaires.
Running 34 universes of control through Art-Net, Schulman says that 90% of the lighting system works on Elation eNode Art-Net to DMX routers. “Everything runs through a complicated infrastructure system but it’s been nice how quickly and easily it is to work with the eNodes and integrate the Art-Net system into the building system.”
Light Action often works with Elation rep firm The Healy Group to realize its projects and such was the case with the Wells Fargo Centre install. “Working with Chris Healy is great,” says Schulman. “He’s always on point and always willing to take a phone call at some god-awful hour!”
(Jim Evans)
