How do you show a level of gratitude that goes beyond just a ‘thank you’ to the thousands of supporters behind one of Toronto’s largest hospitals? Create a state-of-the-art digital donor recognition system that celebrates the names of these generous contributors within a design context that brings the names and art to life. Today, Sinai Heath System’s Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) introduced their new digital donor recognition wall as a way to show their unmatched gratitude to those that have supported the hospital over the past 94 years. The impressive digital architectural structure (a digital canvas spanning 21,000 pixels wide) – standing 50 feet long by 12 feet high – was designed by Toronto-based Envision and is unique to Canada in its size and complexity.
As part of the ‘Renew Sinai’ redevelopment project, and in keeping with the priority of philanthropic leadership, Envision worked closely with the Sinai Health Foundation (formerly Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto) to design, build and install a leading-edge digital donor recognition system that pays homage to the thousands of donors whose generosity has supported the hospital from its humble beginnings to today.
“We are privileged to be working with Sinai Health Foundation on such a significant design project and proud of the work that we have accomplished,” said Mark Wilson, executive vice president, Envision. “The foundation wanted to create something architecturally and technologically outstanding to express their gratitude to their many donors. The wall acts as the central art piece within the revitalization of the whole main floor lobby. The end result is a combination of artistry and technology on a whole new level. In our many years of donor recognition work this is the largest and most complex project Envision has ever completed, both in terms of its scale and technical sophistication.”
With more than 10,000 people circulating through the main lobby corridor at Mount Sinai Hospital every day, it was crucial for the final creation to include movement of content that was soft, flowing and conveyed a sense of tranquility within the space.
“We involved many stakeholders in the design process including architect and interior design experts as well as some of Sinai Health Foundation’s top donors to ensure the end result was the best fit for the space,” continued Wilson. “Our overall goal was to create a relaxing and soothing environment for anyone visiting the hospital. At the same time, the final piece needed to make a strong modern statement. Our starting point was to establish a philosophical design principal built from a harmonious relationship between components of shape and functionality, producing the desired emotional state we were striving for.”
“This wall surpasses our expectations and makes such a significant contribution to the hospital’s landscape,” said Tony di Cosmo, vice-president, donor relations, Sinai Health Foundation. “When we embarked on this project with Envision, our main goal was to recognize the incredible generosity of our donors. It is with the help of these contributors and their ongoing support and effort, that this hospital is where it is today. What we didn’t expect was the dynamic work of ‘living’ art we would have in the end.
The wall brings the entire concept to life by blending donor names with incredible moving images, messages and stories. It is an ever-changing piece that has brought an entirely new level of art form to this hospital and for that, we are grateful to the Envision team.”
Specifics on the new digital donor recognition wall at Mount Sinai include:
- An immersive ultra high-definition experience spanning 33 NEC X series commercial displays, with 65″ 4K screens on each end for messaging and promoting upcoming events;
- The largest single machine installation of Touch Designer software in North America based on a pixel count level (content is generated in real time at 23,040 x 3,240), powering the 33 screen main video wall;
- A state-of-the-art content management system and next-generation hardware that enables Sinai Health Foundation members to create customized content and upload to the system in real time;
- The main fixture construction of white corian and glass, together with LED accent lights and stainless steel trims allow the entire fixture to blend seamlessly into the architectural environment of the newly renovated Mount Sinai Hospital
The new digital donor recognition wall resides in the main floor lobby of Mount Sinai Hospital from the University Avenue entrance.
