A Waterfall of Light and Color Creates a Dynamic Touchpoint
The famous architect Philip Johnson said, “I believe that change is a great thing. In fact, it's the only real absolute.”
However, with change comes the inevitability of aging, something even the most iconic buildings—like Denver, CO’s Wells Fargo Center (known as the “Cash Register Building” to locals), designed by Johnson in 1983—aren’t immune to.
To refresh the building’s dramatic eight-story, light-filled glass lobby and restore its prominence, ESI created five 85-foot-tall LED columns that rise through the space, forming the largest piece of public art in Denver. Developed in close collaboration with the city to bring this ambitious vision to life, the installation uses unique algorithms to create nature-inspired animations drawn from Colorado’s diverse landscapes that change due to current weather conditions. Digital birds—3,600 that never fly the same way twice—traverse a luminous blue sky, while immersive landscape mosaics feature artistic images from local Instagram users.
The transformation of the Wells Fargo Center is outstanding, and we are very happy with the result.
