The freestanding LED spectacular known as the Entry Experience at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a highly custom-built structure that took months to design, plan, and execute.
The end result is a huge ground-level video screen that makes a smooth 90-degree curve, wowing visitors with NASA-themed 3D anamorphic content as they enter the attraction. But there’s definitely much more than meets the eye given the enormous effort to safeguard the new structure from the harsh elements of Florida’s eastern coastline.
It’s also very rewarding to be recognized by a panel of structural engineering professionals who understand and appreciate the level of care and detail that is needed on a project of this scale.
Given the unique engineering requirements, SNA Displays hired top-notch structural engineering firm Orndorf & Associates (O&A) to consult on the project. O&A’s expertise encompasses a wide range of project types such as new construction, renovations, historic rehabilitation, and much more. SNA Displays and O&A have worked together on several high-profile, complex projects that required custom engineering solutions and creative thinking. The Ultimate Display at American Dream is one of the latest examples.
For its extensive work on the Entry Experience, Orndorf recently won the Outstanding Project Award from the Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers (DVASE). The award represents significant peer recognition in the engineering world.
“Receiving this recognition is meaningful for many reasons,” said Matthew Edwards, chief engineer at Orndorf & Associates. “It’s an honor to have had the opportunity to design what we feel is the new centerpiece of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. This is a world-renowned location, and we believe the display’s futuristic design and visual capabilities are a perfect complement to what NASA represents for our country. It’s also very rewarding to be recognized by a panel of structural engineering professionals who understand and appreciate the level of care and detail that is needed on a project of this scale.”
Designing for Success
O&A played a key role in the design process, leveraging its expertise early in the development process.
Sitting at sea level just four miles from the ocean, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral often contends with extremely high winds and heavy rain. To ensure its resilience, the visitor complex’s mammoth LED spectacular is designed to withstand hurricane-force wind speeds. Additionally, the relatively thin profile that gives the Entry Experience an aesthetically appealing look results in high uplift forces at the base of each column. After considering several design options, SNA Displays and management company Delaware North opted for a heavily-engineered system of cantilevered steel trusses. The truss system adds rigidity and durability to the cantilevered columns, while simultaneously providing a useful structure to install catwalk grating and access ladders.
The superstructure consists of Vierendeel trusses, fabricated from wide flange steel members and spaced approximately 7’4″, with HSS spreader bars to support the panel frames. This design choice offered several advantages. Unlike a braced frame, Vierendeel trusses allow for unobstructed access through a network of catwalks that seamlessly integrate with the grid of panels. This facilitates maintenance and ensures each panel can be individually opened to replace components as necessary. Furthermore, the catwalk elevations provide ample headroom for safe and efficient panel access.
Spanning between the Vierendeel truss web members are three dedicated maintenance platforms. Constructed with metal bar grating for secure footing, these platforms feature structural angle toe-kicks along the perimeter to prevent tools or equipment from falling to the ground. Access between levels is provided by two ladder points at each platform end, equipped with self-closing hatches that eliminate the need for additional fall protection.
Background
The Kennedy Entry Experience is a 3,000-square-foot, ground-level LED spectacular at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral. The 30-feet-tall by 90-feet-wide entry experience is designed to stimulate interest in space exploration and tell the story of NASA: past, present, and future.
The freestanding screen was built with EMPIRE™ Exterior LED display technology and employs a 6.6 mm pixel pitch. With a resolution of 1,368 x 4,464, the Kennedy Entry Experience contains more than 6.1 million pixels. Constructed with a smooth, seamless curve with a tight five-foot radius, it’s optimally designed for anamorphic content, which can create astounding 3D illusions from a specific vantage point.
In addition to immersive themed content, the Entry Experience shows live-input video of launches and other events. It’s also tied into the visitor complex’s emergency alert system and able to provide emergency weather notifications to guests and staff.
While high-end LED video technology and stunning digital content generate viral social media moments and leave a lasting impression with viewers, what goes on behind the screens is essential to a project’s overall success. Kudos to Orndorf & Associates for the much-deserved win and congratulations to everyone who played a part in the design and engineering of this one-of-a-kind video display.