Entry Form

Project Summary

Grandscape, built on a site of more than 400 acres in Dallas, Texas, is set to be one of the largest mixed use real estate developments in the United States.

For a new retail project on that scale to succeed, it has to offer an in-person experience that attracts customers and keeps bringing them back.

Grandscape does that on a massive scale. Shoppers, visitors and residents can enjoy more 3.9 million square feet of retail space, entertainment, dining, attractions and residential accommodation. This is more than just scale. To attract customers - and retailers - the owners have created a premier destination where the in-person experience is exceptional. The Grandscape experience is unique and surprising, offering something customers and visitors probably haven’t seen before.

That element of surprise is essential because retail centers are no longer just destinations for shopping; they must offer a unique experience. The quality of in-person experience is a critical differentiator in a highly competitive retail market that is recovering from the severe impact of the pandemic.

To achieve their ambitious goals and to set a new benchmark for in-person experience, Grandscape’s vision was to create a ‘Lifestyle Center’ using themed technology to attract, entertain and retain customers.

By using technology the owners have created a retail environment that is welcoming, informative, exciting and memorable for visitors of all ages — on a massive scale.

Electrosonic’s experience in delivering customized technology in themed environments enabled the Grandscape team to take that vision forward as part of a turnkey project.

Working with experiential design firm, Barnycz Group, Electrosonic designed and integrated the audio, video, show control and show network systems for a series of ‘electronic amenities’ — engaging, visually stunning multimedia displays that inform, entertain and provide great ‘Instagram opportunities’ for visitors to retain and share personal memories.

The Stylon Reflecting Pool by the main entrance welcomes guests with a striking 43-feet tower that displays the Grandscape logo in an attractive petal shape and the name in 13-feet letters, all reflected in the pool. The logo is made up of almost 4000 LED video tiles.

The 35-feet Kaleidoscope situated by another entrance is an interactive piece of artwork created from 432 LED video tiles and 1248 programmable LED globe lights backed by an immersive 16-channel audio experience. A selfie camera and interactive kinetic motion content encourage visitors to engage with the experience.

The Projection Fountain operates as traditional fountain by day, but transforms into an experiential show with mapped video content, water effects, spectacular lighting and surround sound audio synched with 69 fountain jets.

A bandshell and stage provides an attractive venue for live music events with large-scale LED video walls to support the audio technology. Regular live events like this add a further dimension to the in-person experience, attracting people who might not visit Grandscape for retail.

The ‘electronic amenities’ at Grandscape have proved extremely popular with visitors and images from the Kaleidoscope, Stylon Pool and Projection Fountain are widely shared on social media. This helps to create a ‘buzz’, spreading the word about the center and attracting even more visitors.

Attractions like those heighten the in-person experience and keep visitors on site longer, which helps to build and maintain traffic for Grandscape’s retailers. The Projection Fountain, for example, is at its best at night and this helps extend sales opportunities for retailers.

Information is just as important as entertainment in this vast space to ensure visitors are aware of all the facilities and feel safe. Throughout the center, outdoor LCD displays housed in custom kiosks display scheduled advertising content and live feeds via a sophisticated video distribution and control system.

Information Directories operate from the same network using outdoor LCD displays with interactive touch overlays to help visitors navigate the center. There are also a number of large rooftop and theater ribbon LED displays around the site that display branded content. Grandscape has proved popular with broadcasters and other media groups as a venue for events. Their content helps to share the Grandscape experience with people who might not be able to visit in person.

To help visiting media companies, a sophisticated broadcast system provides truck dock signal connectivity for temporary broadcast events, enabling TV and production companies to deliver, record or stream content without major disruption to the site. The entire information and entertainment system is monitored and controlled from a Master Control Room that features control desks and wall-mounted video displays and touchscreen displays for testing systems

To take this massive project from concept to reality, Electrosonic formed an integral part of a turnkey delivery team as the lead technology partner.

Electrosonic was responsible for a wide range of services, including technology design consulting, build and systems integration, digital communications and media walls, specialty projection, audio and acoustics, content distribution, command and control rooms, audio, video and control systems, audiovisual, control system and physical network design, detailed engineering, commissioning, programming and project management, as well as training and full-time on-site maintenance and repair.

Electrosonic’s contribution to the project has enabled Grandscape to set new standards for in-person experience in a retail setting. It draws on Electrosonic’s experience in themed entertainment to create an environment that attracts and retains customers who have increasingly high expectations of the retail environment.

The multimedia displays provide ‘show-stopping moments’ that engage customers throughout their visit. The quality of visitor information is equally high, with advanced easy-to-use displays that keep guests safe and informed across the entire center. The result is a world-class retail center that takes the traditional mixed-use retail space into a new era.

Electrosonic’s approach to experiential projects fuses architecture, storytelling and technology. At Grandscape this ensures the audiovisual technology is integrated in a way that is elegant, fit for purpose and carefully matched to the architecture of the center. Grandscape represents a massive project and a new benchmark in retail experience. It is significant not just because of its scale, but also the sophistication of the audiovisual and experiential technology required to create the in-person experience.