New York City, USA
Moment Factory, a Montréal-based multimedia entertainment studio specializing in the conception and production of immersive environments that combine video, lighting, architecture, animation, sound, and special effects to create remarkable visitor experiences, has completed a project for New York’s new Moynihan Train Hall that brings back the wonder of travel while entertaining both daily commuters and travelers from afar.
Commissioned by Empire State Development, the “Iconic Multimedia at Moynihan Train Hall” charms travelers with the magic of experiential multimedia bringing back the romance of travel while entertaining both daily commuters and travelers from afar.
The project was awarded a 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies for its multimedia designs.
Built in 1910, designed by McKim, Mead & White, New York’s original Pennsylvania Station was eight acres of Gilded Age American opulence. It was the brainchild of Alexander Cassatt, the owner of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who wanted to bring a rail terminal to Manhattan.
The new Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall redesigned by SOM, named for the visionary United States senator who proposed the project in the 1990s, opened its doors in 2021 to New Yorkers and travelers from the Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak, the New York City Subway, and the entire northeast region.
The new Moynihan Train Hall expands the Pennsylvania Station complex with a 225,000-square-foot rail hub in the landmark James A. Farley Post Office Building.
For the project, Moment Factory’s team developed a multimedia content strategy, as well as 7 animated capsules that highlight the vibrancy of New York city and NY State, the history of the iconic building, it’s unique architecture and the natural beauty of the state at large.
Spanning 4 massive LED screens, identity, ambient, and event capsules with custom transitions bring delight and discovery to the passenger journey, making the hall feel alive.
Each scene is an homage to the romance of travel and the history of the site, evoking a sense of adventure and an opportunity to see the world around. Those distinct visuals also highlight the vibrancy of New York City and NY State, the history of the iconic building, its unique architecture, and the natural beauty of the state at large.
Across 4 LED screens, 56 x 4 meters long, a mixture of ambient and event content highlight scenes from across New York City and State as well as within the walls of the building.
Ambient capsules showcase illustrate panoramas of the Hudson Valley in autumn or harken back to black-and-white archival footage from the mid-20th Century.
To bring the past into the present, they are also inspired by the site’s former function as a post office and use this place-memory to create a fantastical, animated capsule that takes everyone “behind the scenes” into a hidden, mechanical world.
By including an identity look that mimics the iconic ceiling with shifting glass panes, and transitional moments inspired by the rippling texture of old-fashioned departure boards, a full day of animated content ebbs and flows with the travelers themselves.
Project: Iconic Multimedia at Moynihan Train Hall
Designers: Moment Factory
Client: Empire State Development
