World’s tallest moving statue to be covered in LEDs at mall

The world’s tallest moving statue is set to open at a major shopping mall in the US, with a skin covered in custom-created LEDs.

The Giant Company Attractions Limited, based in Dublin, Ireland and the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey have announced plans to launch the project in January next year.

The androgynous, anthropomorphic statue will stand 16.5 metres, or approximately five storeys, high and will be capable of moving its arms and heads. Using patented LED and scanning technologies, The Giant statue will be able to take on the appearance of any human being, from celebrities and historical figures to visitors to the attraction.

American Dream is the second largest mall in the US and is known for its mix of entertainment, retail, and dining.

In addition to The Giant statue, the mall’s attraction will feature The Giant Exhibition, a futuristic environment with a themed immersive visitor experience, volumetric scanning pods and other
engaging elements. Visitors to The Giant attraction will be scanned in a volumetric scanning theatre and displayed on the Giant statue, resulting in what organisers describe as  “the portrait of a lifetime and the most amazing selfie on earth”.

As the visitor is scanned a holographic avatar – an exact representation of the visitor – is generated. This three-dimensional hologram is displayed and manipulated through the subject’s smartphone and can transport the visitor (through her avatar) to AR and VR environments and experiences.

Every hour The Giant will put on a show for visitors to the mall. The statue will transform into an extraordinary person – a giant from today or yesteryear – including, historical figures,
contemporary stars, artists, celebrities, sports heroes, inventors, scientists, and humanitarians. The Giant’s arms and head will move and it will speak, sing, and recite lines of verse and prose. Myriad surrounding screens and other visual and aural effects will make the hourly presentations a must-see spectacle.

The Giant will also act as a platform for brand celebration, the display of artworks, and as a backdrop for concerts and other performances and events.

The Giant at American Dream project is the culmination of years of groundwork by the Giant Company Attractions Limited. The Giant Company has previously shown a Giant state with a matrix LED skin at the IAAPA Expo Europe in September 2022.  And it also demonstrated an LED selfie experience, which allowed visitors to see images of themselves on a 4m-tall LED head, in Temple Bar, Dublin in October last year.

Eric Fraad, director of development of The Giant Attractions Company, commented: “We are excited to build the world’s first Giant at American Dream. Besides the iconic stature of the attraction
The Giant is devoted to the empowerment and development of human potential. Everyone can strive to improve themselves and their communities, and everyone can aspire to become a Giant – that’s the American Dream!”

Don Ghermezian, CEO of Triple Five Group which owns and operates the American Dream mall, said: “The Giant brilliantly represents American Dream’s commitment to deliver an innovative one-of-a-kind world class experience for all our visitors. It will be a unique and spectacular addition to the centre, and we are looking forward to seeing our visitors become Giants.”