Partnering with Sculptivate, the creative production and design studio based in London, the display represents the leading landlord’s commitment to enhancing Carnaby Street’s legacy of experiential, high impact public realm activations. Featuring over 60,000 fully programmable LEDs, the contemporary lighting installation will this year evolve to a vibrant and colourful display, powered by renewable energy resources which will continue to be reimagined across a five-year span.

The new design will once again include impressive large star focal points at gateways on Carnaby Street, complemented by 6-metre-long sculptural light forms suspended along the street. The installation will extend into Kingly Court where cascading curtains of light will adorn the balconies, and this year the iconic Carnaby Street arches will also be decorated with vibrant visuals, which marry festive tradition with the area’s distinct spirit of innovation, culture and creativity.

Carnaby Street’s Christmas lights will be switched on Thursday 6^th November and will be followed by six weeks of activity across the neighbourhood, underscoring Shaftesbury Capital’s creative approach to the festive period.

Catherine Riccomini, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Carnaby Street’s ‘All is Bright’ light scheme marks the next phase in our Christmas vision for the street, pushing the boundaries of sustainable placemaking while celebrating the creativity and vibrancy that define Carnaby Street and Soho. From immersive retail pop-ups to exclusive firsts, we’re curating a festive season that not only creates memorable experiences for our visitors, but also drives meaningful engagement for our brand partners, building lasting connections at the heart of London’s most iconic retail and leisure destination.”

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Located in the centre of Manchester, the Arndale Centre is one of the largest indoor shopping centres in the UK. The centre features over 200 stores as well as numerous food outlets and leisure spaces for visitors to enjoy.

The project’s brief was to replace the previous screen with a new display that was high-impact, functional and efficient. The main requirements were to make the most of the existing structure, fit the building’s 34-metre convex curve, and ensure energy-saving performance and remote monitoring capabilities.

Absen worked closely with Ocean to create a customised cabinet solution designed to fit the Arndale Centre’s unique curvature requirements and seamlessly blend with the building aesthetic. As part of the process, Absen created a prototype set-up at its UK showroom to road-test the display cabinets and screen. The new screen needed to be lightweight to work with the existing steel support structure and had to be designed for maintenance access while fitting the exact convex curve. The Absen A0621 (Energy Saving version), was the perfect solution to meet these requirements.

The screen measures an impressive 17.92 m wide by 5.12 m high. A custom ‘cut panel’ feature ensures the screen fits the building’s curve. The solution also offers several important benefits, including a 30 percent + reduction in power consumption which helps lower operational costs, and intelligent monitoring for real-time data collection and management.

Ocean commented: “We selected Absen based on the company’s lightweight product design and its ability to create custom solutions for complex architectural requirements. The client feedback has been positive.”

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Designed as a blank canvas for innovation, Future Stores provides an adaptable platform for brand activations, product launches, and experiential marketing. With rotating residencies every two to six weeks, retailers use the space to deliver cutting-edge campaigns that blur the line between digital storytelling and physical shopping.

“Mapping 153 million pixels onto irregular LED surfaces required an ultra-reliable, high-performance solution,” said Nick Phillips, VP of Solution Engineering at Mood Media, the global AV content and brand-experience company behind the project. “Hippotizer gave us the power and precision we needed – and Green Hippo’s team provided incredible on-site support to ensure flawless execution.

To achieve this, seven Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers were deployed, managing six synchronized 8K feeds across 10 surfaces. The venue’s 1.5mm MIP (Micro LED in Package) LED walls and COB (Chip on Board) panels enable breathtaking visuals with ultra-fine resolution. Hippotizer’s Genlock synchronisation ensured pixel-perfect alignment, even for fast-moving content.

Brands like Intel and Snapchat have already used the venue to debut campaigns and leverage real-time visitor analytics – including footfall tracking, dwell time, heat mapping, and gender recognition – to measure impact and optimise experiences.

Looking ahead, Phillips plans to integrate a grandMA console for advanced live control and is exploring Hippotizer’s new MX Series for enhanced performance, including 10-bit colour support and expanded storage.

“Future Stores sets a new benchmark for experiential retail,” Phillips added. “It’s where immersive storytelling meets intelligent data – powered by Green Hippo.”

Image credit: © Phix.

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Located centrally in the heart of Romford, Essex, The Liberty, which welcomes an annual footfall of 23 million, has recently embarked on a multi-year £7million renovation, including the introduction of innovative digital signage to its main South Street entrance and internal layout.

Centre owner, Redical, appointed Limited Space as media operator to oversee the management of the new digital signage. Subsequently, Limited Space chose long-standing partners, EcoVista to provide full turn-key and high-quality internal sustainable solutions, required to meet strict planning applications and sustainability objectives. To meet these requirements and deliver an impactful solution which would transform and futureproof the 1960s shopping centre, Absen’s K V3 Series was the carefully selected solution.

“EcoVista, already recognised for its commitment to sustainability, was a natural fit for the project. Together with Absen, the install’s ability to deliver a carbon-neutral solution went above and beyond the client’s expectation, allowing the busy shopping centre to upgrade its advertising capabilities with minimal environmental impact.” comments Samantha Sida, Co-Founder & Director, Limited Space.

Innovative solutions

Taking centre stage in its UK installation debut, Absen’s high-resolution K V3 Series was prominently installed within an internal walkway between retailers, measuring 5 x 3 metres and with a pixel pitch of 3.9 mm. Featuring energy-saving technology boasting an impressive 700/3000nits of dual brightness configuration and A5C+ calibration technology for enhanced screen uniformity, the K V3 has unmatched colour brilliance and colour precision management technology. These advanced specifications allow for intelligent adjustments to match the display’s colour gamut range to the source, as well as featuring anti-blue light and anti-radiation technology to ensure viewing protection and comfort.

The product’s versatile and lightweight 3+1+1 design has a flexible modular structure and wireless connectivity to achieve a range of curved, right-angle and irregular creative solutions, to ensure unmatched stability, safety, and reliability.

“As part of Absen’s extensive commercial portfolio offering versatile flexibility and adaptability, the K V3 Series is the ideal solution for a range of retail applications.  Its implementation will provide the centre with a more advanced and captivating form of digital signage, featuring advanced energy-saving technology, reducing both energy consumption and running costs.” explains Ben Phelps, Retail Industry Director, Absen. “With accurate colour reproduction and refined display qualities, the K V3 Series will deliver impactful advertising experiences for years to come.”

In addition, EcoVista integrated a Bose sound system for an enhanced audio experience and employed its proprietary CarbonTrack platform to provide advanced embodied carbon reporting. The installation was engineered to align with The Liberty’s commitment to sustainability, ensuring a minimal ecological footprint.

Application challenges

With very high ambient light conditions throughout the shopping centre, choosing the right display product was key to ensuring maximum visibility and digital deliverance. Available in 1.56mm, 1.89mm, 2.5mm, 3.9mm pixel pitches, the high-resolution Absen K V3 Series features A5C+ calibration technology which eliminates the difference in brightness and chromaticity within and between panels, improving the uniformity of display, reproducing flawless images and therefore making it the ideal product for the environment.

In addition, the project presented a significant technical challenge due to the location of the Absen LED mounted on a delicate glass facade. EcoVista had to carefully remove and reinstate the glass panels surrounding the display, fixing the LED structure to a steel frame behind the glass, without damaging the existing infrastructure. The intricate nature of the installation required precise engineering and expertise to ensure a seamless integration.

The display was installed as part of a phased roll-out, carefully coordinated to meet deadlines while ensuring minimal disruption to The Liberty’s day-to-day operations.

Innovative result

Upon completion, The Liberty now boasts a state-of-the-art digital advertising system which enhances the shopping experience, while adhering to strict environmental standards.

The implementation of the Absen LED screen provides a visually striking and dynamic platform for advertisers. The project was completed on time and within the specified sustainability targets, solidifying EcoVista’s reputation as a leader in both technological innovation and carbon accountability.

“The project came with a few unique challenges, especially with the high ambient lighting conditions within the space. Thankfully, Absen’s K Series V3 display was the ideal fit, delivering impressive brightness and clarity which really stands out in such a bright environment. The result is a stunning display, grabbing visitor attention right away. We often face challenges like these, and having Absen’s support on this project made all the difference in bringing this installation to life.” concludes Sean Morrough, Managing Partner at EcoVista.

Image credit: EcoVista.

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