Four outdoor LED displays claiming to be the world's largest have been unveiled at the top of Absa Towers West in Johannesburg, South Africa. Named 'Lumen', the screens will carry digital branding which the company has compared to London's Piccadilly Circus and New York's Times Square. The installation was created with Barco LiveDots.

Absa, part of the Barclays Group, has made the investment to showcase the city as a 'leading centre for business on the African continent'. Each screen is 40m wide by 18m high – almost twice the size of a basketball court, the company notes, and can be seen from 1.5km away on the ground and 2.5km away in the air. The carbon emissions from the low-power consumption LED tiles will be offset with South Africa's largest solar photovoltaic farm on the roof of Absa Towers Main.

"Lumen is a significant step in a ten-year project that will regenerate and revitalise the Johannesburg [central business district] and supports Absa and the Barclays Group's fundamental value of stewardship," explains Bobby Malabie, Absa and Barclays Africa Group executive for marketing, communications and public affairs.

"Lumen will become a landmark that will not only be instantly recognisable in Johannesburg, but on the world stage."