Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on March 17, 2025. It has since been updated as of March 19, 2025.
A museum visit often culminates with a memorable stop at the gift shop — and at “The People’s House,” this experience is elevated to an entirely new level. Tasked with creating an engaging visual recap of the museum’s White House history tour, along with rotating updates on upcoming events and special features, technology integrator Design & Production Incorporated (D&P) turned to long-time partner Digital Projection to customize a curved 66-foot-wide LED videowall worthy of this prestigious digital signage project.
The stunning display draws guests into the gift shop, encouraging them to linger as they browse, shop and engage with dynamic content. Beyond the gift shop, the rest of the 21,000-square-foot museum is equally impressive, featuring numerous multimedia exhibits expertly designed and integrated by D&P.
The People’s House, located at the iconic 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, offers visitors a unique and immersive journey through White House history. Utilizing advanced lighting, audio, video and graphics, it creates an engaging, interactive environment that highlights treasured artifacts and spaces typically inaccessible to the public. As the final stop on the tour, the retail space leaves a lasting impression, reinforcing the significance of this national high-tech landmark.
A Visionary Project on Pennsylvania Avenue
Per the final architectural renderings by the design team at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the display for the state-of-the-art retail space needed to span a remarkable 66 feet in width and 5 feet in height, wrapping the curved perimeter walls with immersive, dynamic content. Part of a comprehensive redevelopment project just a block from the White House, the installation aimed to complement a museum hailed by The Washington Post as “the most high-tech to date — a model of cutting-edge museum design.”
Technical Complexity Meets Tight Deadlines
Lorton, Va-based, D&P, known for its expertise in designing and integrating technology in museum environments, implemented a wide range of imaging solutions throughout the venue to reenact history and full-size historical scenes, including transparent OLED screens, interactive touchscreens, projection systems and holographic displays. The retail space, while less illustrative of White House history, represented one of the most challenging parts of the project.
“What started as an optional 36-foot LED wall budget line item quickly evolved into a centerpiece display critical for delivering impactful media content,” says D&P project manager Sue Lepp. “It needed to be current with today’s retail venues, visually striking in daylight, and bright enough to capture attention across the room and from the street. At the same time, it needed to meet our client’s stringent aesthetic and power-efficiency requirements.”
With deadlines looming, D&P knew they needed a trusted partner to deliver under pressure. Digital Projection, D&P’s go-to high-performance imaging provider since the early ’90s, stepped up with a fully customized solution.
Precision Under Pressure
Leveraging 3D concepts provided by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Digital Projection swiftly specified, configured, installed, and calibrated the bespoke LED wall. Once the supporting structure for the videowall frame was constructed, 3D scans of the multi-radius surface were taken to ensure a precise fit with minimal adjustments. “The Digital Projection team arrived on-site and completed the entire installation in just eight days—two days ahead of schedule,” notes Lepp.
D&P credits Digital Projection’s “white glove” service and technical expertise for making the fast-paced turnaround possible. The size and clarity of content presented on the seamlessly tiled 1.8mm pixel pitch LED panels captivate visitors as they stroll the store, giving them compelling content and reasons to return to the exhibit for special events and other activities.
A Partnership for Success
The success of this project reinforces the collaborative relationship between D&P and Digital Projection, showcasing their combined ability to deliver transformative museum experiences on a grand scale. With a dazzling LED videowall that captivates visitors and highlights key historical narratives, The People’s House stands as a shining example of what technology can achieve in modern museums.
