North Houston School District Unveils Big Video Tech at Renovated Stadium
HOUSTON—Aldine Independent School District (ISD) recently unveiled major video technology at the newly renovated W.W. Thorne Stadium in north Houston. Courtesy of WJHW and LED video provider SNA Displays, highlights include a 76-foot endzone videoboard and 332 linear feet of LED ribbons.
The 10,000-seat artificial turf stadium is located just south of Beltway 8 a short distance from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Thorne Stadium, named after the school district’s superintendent from 1958-1973, is home to the football and soccer programs for five area high schools, including the Aldine Mustangs, Davis Falcons, Eisenhower Eagles, MacArthur Eagles, and Nimitz Cougars. The venue is also a frequent neutral site for Texas high school playoff matchups.
WJHW provided consulting and design services for Aldine ISD, which comprises 82 schools across 111 square miles, selecting SNA Displays to provide the stadium video enhancements as well as other indoor upgrades.
“We were thrilled to see this transformational project come to life,” said David Vieira, principal at WJHW. “Video displays are a critical part of the student and fan experience in any stadium, and SNA provided a fantastic product to meet our world-class expectations for execution of the design. We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with SNA on this project to achieve our exact design. This stadium is a critical gathering space for the community, and the video systems speak volumes about the quality that Aldine ISD expects to see to support their students, faculty, and staff.”
The south end zone LED scoreboard is mounted above the entrance to the M.O. Campbell Educational Center. Sporting a pixel pitch of 10 mm, the EMPIRE™ Exterior video screen measures 26 feet tall and 75-feet-7-inches wide (792 x 2,304 pixels) for a surface area of just under 2,000 square feet. SNA Displays oversaw the foundation, steel installation, and catwalks while Phoenix Signs fabricated headers, a mesh backing, and channel lettering for the videoboard.
Fascia ribbons run 166 feet along the visitor and home sides of the field. Mounted between the stadium’s two levels, each LED ribbon employs a 10 mm pixel pitch at a resolution of 72 x 5,056 pixels.
Aldine ISD’s newly built community center on the north side of the stadium also benefited from the technology upgrade with a 2.5 mm BOLD™ Interior LED display. Measuring 8'10" x 15'9" (1,080 x 1,920 pixels), the new community center LED display is wall-mounted inside one of the center’s gathering spaces.
“By using high-end video to transform W.W. Thorne Stadium, Aldine ISD is demonstrating a commitment to enhancing the game day atmosphere for these schools and their fanbases,” said Barbara Barry, SNA Displays’ director of sports and live events. “These technology improvements will certainly be met with increased engagement and enthusiasm for Friday night lights!”
Comet Signs provided LED installation services as well as locker room game clocks and other scoring and timing equipment. Durotech provided general contracting services.
Visit SNA Displays’ W.W. Thorne Stadium portfolio page for more information.
About SNA Displays
SNA Displays is a leading LED video display manufacturer across several market sectors including sports and live-event venues, out-of-home (OOH), commercial real estate, retail environments, museums and commissioned digital art, workplaces, new construction, and many others. With a focus on quality, technological and construction expertise, and dependable service, we have worked alongside technology partners to design and build some of the largest and most recognizable LED video installations in the world. Discover how Dreams Live Digitally® at snadisplays.com.
About WJHW
WJHW, Inc. offers consulting and design services for acoustics and noise control, video and scoring displays, broadcast provisions and production, theatre planning, lighting and rigging, and other technical services on a diverse range of project types, including professional sporting arenas and stadia, performance arts, theatre and entertainment spaces, hospitality, health care facilities, data centers, and more. Visit wjhw.com for more information.
