On
Saturday 24th October, Central Hall Westminster was part of a
worldwide initiative to mark the 70th anniversary of the formation
of the United Nations (UN). The venue joined iconic buildings and monuments
such as the Great Wall of China, the Empire State Building and the Leaning
Tower of Pisa, by projecting blue light across its facade, with blue being the
official colour of the UN. As White Light is Central Hall Westminster’s
Production Service Partner, the company provided all of the production support
for the evening – with the venue being the only English landmark to be featured
as part of this iconic occasion.
Central
Hall Westminster has a long and historic relationship with the UN. In 1946, the
venue was chosen for the very first General Assembly of the newly formed United
Nations; a meeting that saw the appointment of the first Secretary General,
along with the creation of the Security Council and the International Court of
Justice. Paul Southern, Managing Director at Central Hall Westminster,
comments: “We are extremely proud of the great heritage of our venue. The
inaugural meeting of the UN is a stand-out event in our history, so it’s
fitting that we lead the UK’s celebrations of the anniversary by turning the
venue blue”.
The
spectacular projection utilised WL’s extensive lighting range and was created
using CORE Lighting ColourPoints and SGM P-5 LED washlights. Jason Larcombe,
WL’s Project Manager, comments: “With Central Hall Westminster being part of
such a significant event, we wanted to completely transform its exterior and
make it as visually impressive as possible. As a result, we were able to draw
on our state-of-the-art lighting equipment and produce something which was
quite striking”.
Kevin
Blackman, Senior Sales Manager at Central Hall Westminster, comments: “This was
an once-in-a-lifetime event and WL managed to create an unbelievable projection
which was extremely fitting for such a significant occasion. Prior to the
evening, we informed their in-house team of what was required and they were
able to fulfil this – something we have now come to expect”.
To add to
the celebrations, Central Hall Westminster is also hosting the “UNEARTH”
exhibition. Created by the UN Department of
Public Information and the Gabarron Foundation, it features some of the most
powerful photographs in the organisation’s vast iconic archives. The free exhibition
is now open to the public until 11th December 2015.
