At Barclays Center, the oculus is back blaring ads; replacement street furniture on plaza features digital, touch-screen signage

11/20/20 photos, Norman Oder

A walk last Friday around the Barclays Center plaza showed that arena managers are getting ready for the new NBA season and the likely return of (some) fans, even as metal fencing protects the entrance area.

First, the oculus has returned to showing advertisements, after months of broadcasting a quote fron Martin Luther King Jr., belatedly instituted after more then a week of protests starting at the end of May, and more recently public-service announcements regarding such things as voting.

From NY Daily News, 5/29/20

Second, three pieces of older "street furniture" used for wayfinding, in some cases damaged or marred by graffiti during protests, is being replaced by new digital signage, with touch screens for information, starting with the "Welcome to Barclays Center" below left. 

For an example of the old signage, see the 5/29/20 New York Daily News, screenshot at right, which shows both graffiti as well as a dislodged metal panel, with a fire set below.

I suspect that the return of advertisements to the oculus reflects the arena's business obligations, though a more intense recurrence of protests--which do continue--might prompt a more nimble response, to avoid awkward juxtapositions.

As to the street furniture, located near Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue relatively close to the arena entrance, as well as near the tip of the intersection of those avenues, the replacements likely reflect not only the impacts of time and protests, but the ability to offer a more sophisticated technology.

After all, the pause in arena business, as well as new ownership of the arena operating company--taken over by Joe Tsai in September 2019, and with John Abbamondi heading the company as of July 2020--presumably provided an opportunity for a rethink.

A video of the oculus

 

A video of the new digital kiosk

 

Photos: oculus

The Angela Davis quote--which may not be hers--remains at the transit entrance

Photos: new kiosks

Older photos of wayfinding signage (taken in early June 2020)

One straggler

The "old" signage, below, still persists on Flatbush Avenue. I predict a replacement, given that it promotes the long-departed Pacific Park sales gallery.