The iconic Dubai Fountain Boardwalk is now powere9d by a massive 440 metres long temporary LED display from INFiLED, creating the ‘longest digital screen’ in the world, according to the manufacturer.
Shining brightly before the backdrop of the Burj Khalifa, the LED display at the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk was installed by Dubai-based systems integrator, Blue Rhine Industries, with the 440 metres long and three metres high display undergoing a rapid design and installation phase, with the blueprints, manufacturing and installation taking place in under 60 days.
The installation comprises of over 1,254m² of INFiLED’s 3.9mm-pixel-pitch MV Series LED panels, featuring more than 80 million pixels. Designed to face the intensity of the Dubai climate, the display is IP-65 rated, fanless and designed for low poser consumption in high temperature and high humidity environments.
Blue Rhine Industries spent 30 days on site to deliver this full turnkey system, delivering structural foundations, playback systems, power infrastructure, and the screen itself. The panels were delivered within three weeks, with shipments sent in batches to keep the installation moving; when one batch was installed, the next one had arrived, ready for installation. Eight Blue Rhine Industries teams worked around the clock in multiple shifts to meet the stringent deadline, with power delivered by four on-site generators and content distributed via fibre optic cabling, synchronised using a SpinetiX CMS and Novastar processing hardware.
The playback system includes Intel NUC 13 Pro players, Novastar H15s and CVT10-S converters, and AJA GEN10 sync generations to maintain timing across the display.
494 custom-cast concrete foundation blocks were used, with these two-tonne blocks forming the back of the structure to withstand high winds while remaining completely freestanding. Each block was craned into place overnight using a cardboard templating system, placed with a tolerance of only one cm. With the blocks in place, the metal structure was installed, followed by the scene.
John Joseph, director, Blue Rhine Industries, commented: “It was like assembling a massive puzzle. This is probably the most interesting project we’ve done in a long time. A digital hoarding of almost half a kilometre long isn’t something you hear about every day.
“We already knew that the combination of Blue Rhine Industries and INFiLED just works. We’ve proven it before, and we’ve proven it again here. The real reward is seeing our people rise to a complex challenge. That kind of commitment is what makes these projects truly special.”
The installation will remain in place for six months, with the panels intended for reuse at other properties, extending the life cycle of the panels.