Hearst has opened a lab dedicated to developing apps on the 41st floor of Hearst Tower. The “Hearst App Lab” (let’s hope the developers are more creative than the name) area comes equipped with several high-tech features. There’s a wall of video screens that can be written on and used to display apps, a high definition camera that broadcasts video onto the wall, and furniture that can be altered easily, depending on how big the crowd is.

Adweek reports that Hearst App Lab is expected to draw plenty of people through its doors:

David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, said the idea was to have a place where employees can learn about the tablet market, develop apps, and brainstorm ideas with advertisers and ad buyers. Hearst will also use it to test its apps with focus.

Sounds like a smart idea. As apps become more valuable to publishers, we can expect these type of areas to increase.