Toronto, Canada -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/27/2012 -- Christie®, a global visual technology company, will demonstrate its powerful digital visual display capabilities that are transforming the architectural/design, retail, and corporate branding display industries at Canada’s largest contemporary design fair, the Interior Design Show (IDS), January 26 to 29, at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto. The multi-faceted entrance installation, “StripTease”, designed by RAW Design, will feature the latest in projection and an ingenious, two-sided Christie® MicroTiles® configuration with interactive capabilities provided by GestureTek® and Acid Technologies, for creating a blend of high touch and high tech.

As an integral part of the StripTease entrance display at IDS, the two-sided Christie MicroTiles design evokes a city skyline with 50 Christie MicroTiles and two external control units (ECUs) that drive the interactive content, camera-enabled, gesture-recognition technology from GestureTek, with content developed by Acid Integrations. The projection element consists of 1,300 individual strips of felt that create the 52-foot-by-19-foot “screen” with front-projection using two Christie Roadster S+22K-J 3-chip DLP® digital projectors capable of delivering brightness levels of 20,000 ANSI lumens. Show visitors will experience a live video camera feed of themselves interacting with the content on the Christie MicroTiles. Conceived by Canadian architectural firm RAW Design, it is the first installation of its kind at IDS that integrates visually dynamic content with interactively playful technologies.

"RAW is delighted to be working with Christie using their projection solutions to add an additional layer of enjoyment onto our StripTease felt installation. The incorporation of an interactive component using their MicroTiles adds a particular richness to the experience, with its potential for rotating through digital art across an expansive and malleable canvas,” said Roland Rom Colthoff, principal architect and partner at Raw Design. “We particularly like the fact that the shape of the images on the MicroTiles are not limited to simple rectangles but can take on complex shapes to suit the designer’s vision.”

Coltholff added: “MicroTiles are interesting because they allow for changeable images that can be manipulated individually or in any combination without having to fit discreetly into a screen or one frame. We look forward to engaging visitors by the playful interplay between the projected images and the MicroTiles."

“The old saying, ‘you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,’ has never been truer than at IDS,” said Shauna Levy, Vice President of MMPI Canada and Director of the Interior Design Show and IDS Week. “A signage concept must meet the highest standards of innovation and art to dazzle and amaze design professionals, savvy consumers, and media converging at the show. In StripTease, Raw Design, with Christie and other partners, have created a visually compelling installation that fully delivers the ‘wow’ factor and effectively sets the tone for the astounding range of innovative displays to be found inside.”

At IDS, Christie is introducing its Christie MicroTiles technology to the Canadian design community – the architects and designers who imagine solutions to achieve almost any design element installed in virtually any indoor space - whether it be a museum, a condo building or corporate lobby, a fashion show, or retail display. Christie MicroTiles offer spectacular color and image quality, modular flexibility and maximum creativity. They are also a green solution – RoHS compliant, an important consideration when many of today’s builds require LEED certification.

Many of Christie’s award-winning turnkey signage solutions are also 2012 Apex Award Finalists, for Digital Signage Expo 2012 in March. They are found in diverse venues such as Calgary’s Telus Spark, The New Science Centre, Fresh® beauty stores, the London Stock Exchange, the HP Pavilion at San Jose, and Milan Design Week, where Christie partnered with BlackBerry® PlayBook™ to help British lighting and furniture company Tom Dixon realize its highly praised Multiplex exhibition last year.

About RAW
Spearheaded by architect Roland Rom Colthoff, RAW is one of Toronto’s fastest growing architecture studios. Since being named Best Emerging Practice by the Ontario Association of Architects in 2009, RAW’s portfolio has expanded exponentially to cover a diverse range of projects throughout the GTA and Canada. Their impressive roster varies from edgy mid-rise urban infill developments to large mixed-use and commercial environments covering entire city blocks.

RAW’s work on the Tannery District in Kitchener, Ontario recently won the 2011 CUI Brownie Award for Best Overall Project. Cleaning up and revitalizing a former industrial site of over 300,000 sq. ft. in Kitchener’s downtown, RAW transformed a turn-of-the-century leather factory into high tech office and community space that has become a magnet for economic and industry growth.

Pushing boundaries in Toronto’s condo boom, RAW is known for bringing edgy contemporary design to some of Toronto’s oldest avenues. From building in laneways to challenging infill sites, RAW’s work is significantly impacting Toronto’s emerging streetscapes and the way we engage with it. Visit RAW Design for more information at http://www.rawdesign.ca.

About Christie
Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit http://www.christiedigital.com for more information.