Reaching Edge NYC requires an astonishing amount of technology. Subways, tunnels, bridges, escalators, and high-speed elevators all conspire to deliver visitors 1,131' above Manhattan. Yet all of that engineering and complexity serve a singular idea. At its core, Edge is a remarkably simple concept: a platform jutting into space, suspended more than three football fields above street level. There are no elaborate narratives or theatrical tricks. Its magic comes from sheer height, thick glass, and a deep trust in human engineering. This is the story of how Moment Factory and SOFTlab reimagined New York's highest sky deck through light, reflection, and physics.
I entered the reception area and was greeted by a warm, professional staff who seemed to understand that simply making it this far had taken a bit of determination. I then had the privilege of being personally guided through the experience by Charlie Veprek, the writer and creative director who spearheaded the experiential content for Journey to Edge – the immersive pre-show, queuing experience, and elevator ride leading to Edge, an observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards.
“Edge has always offered an extraordinary outdoor experience," Veprek explains. "Our Skydeck is second to none – with its uniquely positioned glass floor and dramatic cantilevered platform extending out over Manhattan. But now we've created an indoor experience that delivers that same sense of awe." He spoke about the experience with unmistakable pride and genuine excitement.
The experience begins in a passageway surrounded by whimsical glowing orbs created by SOFTlab. My guide encouraged me to touch them. As I did, they wiggled and swayed with delight, like a colony of curious creatures welcoming visitors into another world. I was led into another passageway, bathed in warm light and flanked by mirrors. The atmosphere was calming, but the anticipation was building.
One more elevator whisked me skyward. Exiting onto the main deck, I was greeted by the magnificent Manhattan skyline and the exhilarating realization that I was standing atop a bona fide skyscraper. But something felt different.
The Crystal Cave
The panoramic windows were framed with a matrix of stunning glass prisms that fractured daylight into ribbons of color. There were no electric strobes. No spinning effects. No technological excess. The magic came from the elegant manipulation of glass and natural light.I could look directly through the windows and behold the dramatic view. And with one step to the left or right, I could experience the skyline in an utterly new and beautiful light.
Veprek continues, "You can see how the triangular geometry of the Sky Deck inspired these forms throughout the space. And it's all 100% real – there are no screens. The installation uses a special dichroic film that changes color depending on the angle of the light and your viewing position."
While Moment Factory has earned a global reputation through technologically sophisticated multimedia environments, here was a striking embrace of restraint. Light, sheer height, and the physics of prisms became the principal actors.
Eventually, all paths lead outside, and I knew I would have to face the actual Edge.
Before taking the final steps, Veprek offered these thoughts: “Edge has the highest outdoor observation deck in New York City. Its unique triangular shape is kind of a design marvel. There’s currently nothing underneath it. These solid panes of glass are completely unobstructed and angled ten degrees outward so you can walk right up to the edge... if you’re brave enough. Not everyone wants to.”
I crept out slowly. Then I allowed myself to lean my full body weight against the precipitously balanced angled glass walls. I marveled at my willingness to trust the invisible forces supporting the platform beneath my feet. It was an exhilarating experience. Somewhat relieved to be returning indoors, I was invited to experience what members of the Moment Factory team described as the world's largest kaleidoscope. "This is a photographer's playground," one enthusiastic team member remarked.
They weren't exaggerating.
Where Edge celebrates stillness and the awe of height, the immersive kaleidoscope embraces motion and complexity. Visitors meander through a labyrinth of mirrors, prisms and projected imagery, where familiar icons – the Statue of Liberty, city streets and fragments of New York life – multiply and dissolve into an endlessly shifting mosaic of imagery.
"We created a kaleidoscope on a human scale so we can really enjoy it and be immersed in it," explained Moment Factory creative director Patrick Bisson. "There are five different types of content throughout the day, from morning themes to sunset, all synchronized to music. It's all about lines, architecture, and texture."
Walking into the Kaleidoscope feels a bit like boarding a luxury yacht. Everything appears effortless. The mirrors seem to stretch to infinity, colors drift across every surface, and the entire room feels alive. Like the finest yachts or grand concert halls, the engineering never announces itself. It simply disappears.
That restraint is perhaps the installation's greatest technical achievement. Unlike many immersive experiences that rely onbanks of hidden projectors, Moment Factory took a very different approach. Beneath the elegant mirrors lies a sophisticated ecosystem of direct-view LED walls, pixel-mapped lighting, synchronized media servers, distributed audio, and precisely engineered reflective surfaces that work together to create the illusion of an endlessly rotating, living kaleidoscope.
Convinced that somewhere behind the mirrors, motors and rotating mechanisms were quietly spinning away, I asked Patrick where the moving parts were hidden. His answer surprised me. There aren't any. Every sensation of rotation, depth, and motion is created digitally through synchronized media content moving across LED walls and pixel-mapped lighting. Carefully angled mirrors, glossy architectural finishes, and meticulously controlled reflections convince your brain that the room itself is in motion, when in reality nothing moves except light.
The installation is divided into three principal experiences. The centerpiece is the main Kaleidoscope, where a towering six-by-nine cabinet LED wall disappears behind a massive hexagonal mirror structure that visitors are encouraged to enter and explore. Nearby, a smaller wall kaleidoscope uses a five-foot mirrored tunnel to create seemingly endless geometric reflections, while a third installation combines another LED wall with a constantly shifting New York skyline, inviting guests to become part of the illusion through photographs.
The experience is also remarkably “self-aware.” Rather than simply looping the same content throughout the day, the system automatically transitions through Morning, Afternoon, Sunset, and Evening visual programs. Each evening, an astronomical clock and live web-based sunset data trigger a unique show precisely at sunset, allowing the installation to evolve naturally with New York City's changing daylight. The system is powered by 4-output media servers. Audio routing and show control logic run through audio and control processors, interfaced via a show control tablet.
Beneath the polished surfaces sits an impressive amount of horsepower. At full output, the installation can consume nearly 14 kilowatts of power while producing more than 47,000 BTU per hour of heat. The primary Kaleidoscope alone draws roughly 11 kilowatts – remarkable technical muscle concealed beneath an experience that feels effortlessly magical.
From initial concept through design, fabrication, and final installation, the entire Kaleidoscope was conceived, engineered, built, and installed in just five months. Given the complexity of the technology, custom fabrication, and precision required to align every reflective surface and LED element, that's an ambitious timeline. Like the installation itself, the speed of its execution speaks to Moment Factory's experience, and to the meticulous planning that made such a feat possible.
The kaleidoscope complements Edge perfectly. Where Edge is simple, a kaleidoscope is intricate. Yet both rely on the timeless interplay of light and reflection.Upon exiting the Kaleidoscope, there was the entire Moment Factory and SOFTlab creative team standing before me. I have to say, I was a little starstruck.
Perhaps that was Moment Factory and SOFTlab's greatest achievement: not competing with the wonder of Edge but revealing and celebrating the simple principles upon which it rests.
Before long, I was back on the city streets. But my mind lingered on soaring heights, shimmering light, and the extraordinary human-sized kaleidoscope. Somehow, I knew I would never look at the world quite the same way again.
Tech Specs:
The Prism’s Kaleidoscope room design does not use traditional projection. It relies on physical architecture, LED walls and direct-view pixel-mapped LEDs.
LED Walls Displays : 1.8mm pixel pitch LED video walls for the three main zones
- Main Kaleidoscope (zone 1): Utilizes a 6-cabinet wide by 9-cabinet high array. It is framed and masked by a hexagonal shaped mirror structure that guests are invited to explore.
- Wall Kaleidoscope (zone 2): Utilizes a 2-cabinet wide by 3-cabinet high array behind a 5’ hexagonal mirror tunnel that creates the effect.
- Photo-Op Kaleidoscope (zone 3): Utilizes a 3-cabinet wide by 5-cabinet high array in front of which guests are invited to sit and take pictures with a shifting NYC background.
Linear LED fixtures
The lighting plot in these zones consists of the following fixtures:
- Corridor and Zone 1: Incorporates a total of 64x 1000mm RGBW pixel-mapped LED battens that are programmed to follow the colors and movement of the main Kaleidoscope of zone 1.
- Triangle Kaleidoscopes: Incorporates an RGBW LED strip on one side of each mirror tunnel. This creates the hex pattern illusion and illuminates the faces of people looking through them.
Control Systems, Audio, & Wattage
The backend infrastructure for the Level 100 Kaleidoscope is configured as follows:
- Media & Show Control: The system is powered by 4-output media servers. Audio routing and show control logic run through audio and control processors, interfaced via a show control tablet.
- Scheduling: The show is completely automatized to start and stop each day. The normal day operation has the content following the time of day separated into Morning, Afternoon, Sunset and Evening phases. A special Show Moment happens precisely at the current day’s sunset that is tracked by an astronomical clock and an API that pulls the sunset time from the web.
- Data Processing: The LED walls are driven by dedicated LED data processors. The linear LED battens are powered by dedicated indoor LED power and data units.
- Audio: Zone 1 features 8x smart IP installation speakers and a compact cinema subwoofer. The corridor and zone 3 utilize 9x distributed ceiling speakers.
- Power Loads & Heat: the space has a total maximum power draw of 13,881 watts and generates 47,376 BTU/hr. The LED wall in Zone 1 alone draws up to 11,000 watts. Zone 2 draws 810 watts, and Zone 3 draws 2,155 watts.
The Kaleidoscope: Gyration & Prisms
Regarding the gyration and glass: there are no moving physical mechanisms. The kinetic effect is simulated through synchronized media content moving across the LED video walls and the pixel-mapped linear battens. The illusion is achieved by reflecting this lighting and LED content off structurally integrated mirrored and high-gloss surfaces installed at precise angles to create an infinite visual effect.
There are two types of mirrors used in the scenography, custom clear-glass mirror panels for lower surfaces and custom foam-core panels covered with a reflective mylar membrane for over-head surfaces; this allows for a lighter structure and is safer for an audience to walk under.
All the black reflective walls are made of glossy ACM panels and glossy vinyl and the flooring is a commercial-grade linoleum with a high-gloss finish.
Triangle tunnel kaleidoscopes (corridor)
Glass panels- 79 sq/ft
Main Kaleidoscope (zone 1):
Lite Mirror panels - 303 sq/ft
Glass panels - 196 sq/ft
Wall Kaleidoscope (zone 2):
Glass panels - 60 sq/ft
Photo-Op Kaleidoscope (zone 3):
Lite Mirror panels - 48 sq/ft
Glass panels - 86 sq/ft