Nestled within the West Side of Midtown Manhattan, Hudson Yards has rapidly emerged as one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. With its diverse range of shops and culinary delights, corporate offices for global industry leaders, significant public art installations, dynamic cultural institutions, and stunning residences, Hudson Yards has truly become a sought-after destination in New York City.
Spanning an entire city block, 50 Hudson Yards now stands as the fourth-largest commercial office tower in the city. This architectural marvel sets a new standard for the workplace of the future, offering an abundance of natural light, multiple dedicated lobbies, and spacious amenity-filled sky lobbies.
Notably, the world’s preeminent investment management firm has chosen 50 Hudson Yards as the location for its corporate headquarters, securing an impressive one million square feet across 15 floors. Their headquarters sets a benchmark for corporate office environments worldwide, introducing the next generation of office spaces within the Hudson Yards community.
A-V Services, a leading provider of audiovisual solutions, was entrusted with the task of creating an inspiring experience that promotes employee engagement, collaboration, and reflects the company’s brand.
Vincent Bruno, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for A-V Services, noted, “Hudson Yards boasts a multitude of high-profile corporate environments. It’s one of the fastest-growing and most coveted locations in the city. The audiovisual integration for this project had to deliver an exceptional employee experience. The project encompassed a multimillion-dollar integration spanning 19 floors at Hudson Yards. The technology incorporated a stunning array of video walls and hundreds of conference rooms equipped with scheduling panels. It’s a remarkable project that we take immense pride in.”
A-V Services standardized their approach using Lightware’s Taurus UCX, a universal matrix switcher that simplifies content sharing, host switching, and meeting room control. Taurus UCX offers USB-C connectivity, streamlining audio, video, power, and control signal management through a single cable. Users can seamlessly transfer data, video, audio signals, and even charge their connected devices through the USB-C ports on Taurus UCX.
Bruno emphasized the importance of simplicity in their design and installation, stating, “The best technology is one that is user-friendly. Lightware Visual Engineering achieves this. We chose Taurus UCX to enhance connectivity for Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) in each conference room. Taurus UCX streamlines USB-C-to-HDMI connectivity, making it exceptionally helpful for BYOM applications.”
Lightware’s Taurus UCX is designed to address challenges in meeting rooms and collaboration environments. With its open environment protocol, it empowers AV professionals to maximize possibilities in any AV operation. The device ensures seamless connectivity across various video conferencing applications, including Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and more, simplifying source switching for each meeting’s specific requirements.
Bruno highlighted how Lightware’s adaptability and support were crucial during ongoing supply chain disruptions, saying, “Lightware provided the solutions we needed to meet our project deadlines. Many integration companies, like ours, cannot recognize revenue or expenses on a project until it’s completed. Lightware is incredibly aware of the challenges facing integration firms amid ongoing supply chain disruptions.”
The result of their collaboration was a resounding success. The global investment firm’s new home in Hudson Yards fosters personal connectivity among its employees, offering a unique space to enhance collaboration and better serve clients. A-V Services’ success with Lightware’s Taurus UCX has led to its standardization for future projects.
“We build to standards,” Bruno explained. “We outline standards for different rooms, such as huddle rooms, conference rooms, board rooms, and others. We’re continually updating our standards as technology evolves. With Lightware, we know we’re working with a dependable manufacturer that builds quality products. Following our initial success, we’ve standardized their Taurus UCX and implemented the technology in other installations.”
Lightware’s Taurus UCX represents the latest in cutting-edge technology, enabling users to maximize their experience with boardroom or meeting room technology. It seamlessly integrates various devices, automates room assets, and simplifies collaboration, ultimately offering a comprehensive solution for modern workplaces.
