Wilo Connected
The award-winning LED art installation in Dortmund - a visual masterpiece that embodies Wilo's values in radiant vibrancy
Immerse yourself in the world of "Connected": Welcome to the digital age
The floating LED installation as a symbol of networking
Digital art installation "Connected" at Wilo
It floats prominently and almost weightlessly in the open foyer of Wilo’s “Pioneer Cube” in Dortmund: the digital LED installation “Connected” by Mehnert Corporate Design and tennagels Medientechnik. Creating connections, living connections – this is what Wilo stands for as a company on its way from “Hidden Champion” to “Visible and Connected Champion”. This is also embodied by the multimedia installation, which only works as a network. The almost 60 m² sail consists of 401 double, interlinked LED elements. These become denser in the middle and drift apart again at the edges, creating a dynamic and harmonious overall picture. The sandwich-like arrangement allows two different images to be created via the elements – one radiates upwards, the other downwards. Both from below and from above, the screen surface has a 4K resolution. Playback takes place via a high-performance media server.
Team spirit and corporate values in visual harmony
The German Eight as a central element
Strong symbolic power: the “Connected” Germany eight can be used in different ways. The first central, strong element of both moving images is the DeutschlandAchter plowing through the water. On the one hand, the Wilo-Foundation supports the eight, on the other hand, rowing stands as a symbol for success through joint effort and thus also for the values of the company: community, team play, loyalty. Standing on the first floor, the rowing boat is viewed from below. The picture is accompanied acoustically by the rhythmic rowing strokes muffled by the water and the muted announcements of the helmsman. The corporate values move typographically through the image parallel to the oar strokes. If you follow the stairs upwards, you will gain a new perspective: here you can see the Achter from the air. Now both the rudder strokes and the commands can be heard clearly and distinctly. Thanks to two loudspeaker systems, the motif-related sounds do not overlap. The powerful image radiates calm, stability and at the same time dynamism and strength.
An award-winning act of engineering and design development
Technical tightrope act and artistic excellence
The original idea of installing an original rowing boat in the foyer was further developed in cooperation with Mehnert Corporate Design in creative, technical and conceptual work. In order to present the results of this technical conceptual work to the customer in the best possible way, the entire installation was mapped in a virtual 3D space. The virtual image could then be viewed by the customer using virtual reality glasses. During the selection of the components for the installation of the media sculpture, the engineers at tennagels literally walked a tightrope. Not only the steel cable itself, but also all other components such as cables, metal housings and electronic components were carefully selected with the lowest possible weight in mind. The design of the metal housing, which accommodates the LED modules and electronic components, was developed as a special solution in the tennagels design department. To ensure the functionality of individual components, samples were repeatedly produced using 3D printers as part of the design process. As a symbiosis of media technology and media art, “Connected” is groundbreaking for the staging of modern and forward-looking reception areas. In 2022, tennagels received the Red Dot Design Award together with Mehnert Corporate Design for the installation of “Connected”