Known as The Guitar Hotel, the unprecedented 450-ft-tall, guitar-shaped hotel is the creative vision of renowned architect Steve Peck of the Las Vegas-based Klai Juba Wald Architecture. The $1.5 billion expansion of the existing entertainment complex is an immediate architectural masterpiece and destination revival for visitors. Visible for miles, the dynamic structure is integrated with a digital media facade and rooftop light cannons to provide the bold and energetic atmosphere that Hard Rock is known for.

Immediately visible is a custom LED media façade that spans the entire 34-story structure and follows the curvature of the architecture. Complete with 30,000 linear feet of programmable LEDs provided by SACO, the dynamic 10,000-pixel-wide canvas presents light shows with generative and sound-responsive content developed by Float4. The guitar visually extends into the sky with rooftop light cannons projecting 20,000 feet high - mimicking the neck of the guitar and becoming the new beacon of South Florida.

“Before a show, we have a moment where the installation is in a dormant state; the lights are ambient, fluid,” mentioned Antoine Saint-Maur, Multimedia Director at Float4. “At that moment, we want guests to be able to congregate in anticipation, collectively anticipating the start of the show … we want to create a moment for Hard Rock guests and fans to come together and watch a daily celebration,” he added.

The development of the media facade spans the full gamut of integrated services – from prototyping to structural engineering, product design and custom fabrication, to LED technology integration, programming, and a streamlined choreography of networked systems that support synchronized audio and visual spectacles. For visitors, all of these come together into a seamless experience - where they harmonize with the energy, branding and entertainment factor that Hard Rock is known for. A truly monumental project of experiential design.

Credits:
- Suffolk Construction - General Contractor
- Wild Dogs International - Creative Event & Production Consultant
- RealMotion - Media Server & Show Control
- Design Communications Ltd. - Media Facade Developer, Engineer, Fabrication, Installation
- Float4 - Creative Content & Programming
- Access Specialty Group - Industrial Rope Access
- Klai Juba Wald - Architect
- The Tribe at Seminole - Client
- Yates Construction - General Contractor
- ARUP - Building Engineer
- DeSimone - Building Engineer
- SACO - Video Lighting System
- Giovanette Shulman Associates - Building Engineer