MicroTiles grace JLL’s new offices in Madrid

The first thing you notice on entering the Madrid office of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a professional services and investment management company specializing in real estate, is the striking Christie MicroTiles video wall in the lobby, a strategic spot in its new Spanish headquarters. Listed on the New York stock exchange under the initials JLL, the company has been operating in the real estate market for over 200 years and manages in excess of 180 million square meters worldwide.

Everything started with the move from JLL's previous corporate office to the new headquarters located in Madrid's central Paseo de la Castellana with room for its 220 employees. The state-of-the-art new offices were designed by Tétris Arquitectura, an architectural practice itself a branch of JLL which specializes in interior design and fit-out projects for business premises. The new headquarters has large versatile open-plan areas adaptable to a multitude of uses and a striking staircase linking the two floors.

The Tétris team wanted a unique and iconic feature to impress clients on arriving to the office, something that would act as a powerful visual showcase for the company. "We were looking for a product with high quality image, that would be easy to integrate and with an impressive size," explained José E. Bonacho Camps, Head of Engineering and Associate Director at Tétris. His team contacted Ingevideo, their audiovisual supplier of reference and a Christie partner, who immediately suggested MicroTiles.

"The truth is that MicroTiles is a technological product we are very familiar with, and we regularly offer it to our clients," Bonacho Camps said. "We chose it for this specific project because the MicroTiles module has an excellent finish, with practically no divisions in the image between the different elements. In addition, the large format made it the best solution and also highly cost-effective."

He added: "The modular system means you can change the shape at will and even play with the volumes on the visualization plane. The small footprint also means that we could easily integrate it into the architecture of the lobby without relinquishing much space."

With a 7x4 configuration and an output resolution of 1920 x 1080, the video wall is arranged in a rectangular shape on the wall closest and most visible from the entrance —a strategic position both for clients and users visiting the office. It shows dynamic and corporate contents (images, videos, in-house studies, etc.) that keep staff members and visitors informed.

The contents are powered from an AraCast CPL HD player that enables remote maintenance of the screen as well as the creation of a playlist to suit changing needs. The video wall is programmed to work non-stop from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday. The modules are managed using a Christie MicroTiles ECU (External Control Unit). The unit's web interface enables individual monitoring of each module plus automatic, real time calibration of color and brightness.

JLL is delighted with the video wall: "We really like its versatility when creating a large-size display, with minimum maintenance, a small footprint and virtually no divisions between the modules," Bonacho Camps said. "The total resolution obtained is truly impressive. It allows us to keep the brightness to the minimum, with the subsequent increase in the life of the system. And judging by the feedback from our staff and visitors, everybody loves the quality, aesthetics and flexibility. Now everybody wants one!"

Miguel Sánchez, Project Manager at Ingevideo, is equally satisfied with the installation: "This video wall really enhances the look of JLL's reception area and fits in perfectly with the overall design. Besides, the images are perceived with high resolution and sharpness from any viewing angle, both up close and further away."

And JLL's love affair with Christie did not stop there. The company has also installed five Christie FHD​651-P flat panels in various meeting rooms. These 65" commercial grade LED edge-lit professional LCD panels have a very slim profile, just 2.1" (5.33 cm). They offer Full HD resolution, brightness of 360 nits, 1070 million colors and a contrast ratio of 4000:1.​

"We compared it with other brands and chose the Christie FHD651-P for the technology, sturdiness, reliability and for the quality of the components," claimed José Bonacho Camps. The flat panels were installed by Ingevideo using Chief motorized supports which can be stored away in customized units with just a click of a button. JLL personnel use them to display contents in meetings with clients, corporate presentations, committee meetings, videoconferences, etc.

"It is an aesthetically pleasing product with a small bezel size and ultra slim profile, which makes it easy to integrate in any environment," said Miguel Sánchez from Ingevideo. "It also guarantees fantastic reliability and was conceived for lasting performance throughout its years of life, producing bright and sharp images," he added.​​​

JLL only has good things to say about the work carried out by Ingevideo: "The service was faultless and the technical response immediate. We have been working with them for 10 years, so you could almost say that they are part of the house," José Bonacho Camps said. But that's not all, because JLL is considering acquiring the Christie Brio presentation and collaboration solution: "We are seriously thinking about it as an alternative to our current cabled connections; after all, wireless technology is definitely the way to go," concluded the Tétris Associated Director.