Undersea: A sea turtle glides through coral reefs, shafts of light breaking across the surface as schools of fish drift in its wake. The scene feels calm, alive, and restorative amid the constant motion off screen in the airport’s terminal.
San Francisco International Airport
As part of the $2.4 billion redevelopment of San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Clear Channel Airports wanted to create a landmark moment. They envisioned a towering LED experience that would stop Bay Area travelers in their tracks.
Clear Channel commissioned Render Impact to bring that vision to life through a collection of 3D forced-perspective experiences. We transformed the 27-foot-tall screen into a living, digital window that invites viewers to slow down and look closer. To feel something unexpected.
The Concept
We designed each piece to create what we call a “moment of pause.” A rare, beautiful interruption in a space that never stops moving.
Safari: A lion cub follows a dragonfly through tall grass, playful and curious. A forced perspective “deep screen” design and shadow depth create a realism that feels tactile; creating an instant of warmth and connection with viewers.
Each story transforms the tower into a spatial illusion. We use depth and composition to draw travelers into another world, without ever leaving their gate.
The Execution
Most forced-perspective 3D content is created for wide, horizontal canvases. Our team re-engineered every asset to emphasize height and emotional connection.
Depth & Realism
Forced perspective and z-space movement were used to choreograph natural extensions beyond the screen. The lion’s paw, the turtle’s flipper, and the shark’s head each create a subtle “pop-off-the-screen” moment that captures attention from across the terminal.
Cinematic Polish
Every piece was rendered with precision lighting and physically based materials, ensuring realism even in the bright ambient light of the terminal. Reflections and soft shadows anchor the visuals to their surroundings, letting the illusion feel seamless and believable.
Why It Worked
The Moment Tower quickly became one of the most photographed spaces at SFO.
Travelers stop. Children are in awe. Phones come out. Smiles happen.
The content transforms a high-traffic corridor into a destination. We turned media into emotion and wayfinding into storytelling.
By shifting from passive display to active engagement, the Moment Tower sets a new standard for airport media: one that’s artful, human, and deeply connected to the audience.
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