Tag Archive: Museum Lighting

1. White Light Gets Connected for New Smith Centre Venue at the Science Museum

   11 September 2019 09:31 Leave a Comment

   

   Following the overwhelming success of the Science Museum’s progressive new multi-function, dedicated events venue Illuminate launching earlier this year, the Museum has added yet another option to its burgeoning portfolio. The recently developed Smith Centre has been repurposed to offer four unique spaces available for exclusive daytime or evening hire. As Illuminate’s in-house technical production partner, White Light was called upon to install the AV infrastructure and equipment solutions throughout.

   Utilising the same state-of-the-art Crestron NVX series control system and Audinate Dante network built into Illuminate’s Levels 4 & 5, the Smith Centre is now operational as a fully connected venue. This means that clients can hire both venues simultaneously for events and broadcast live coverage of what is happening within each space, across the multiple rooms.

   

   This connectivity enables a range of uses, from presenter Green Rooms for guest speakers to watch the main event remotely, to conference breakout sessions where audio and video content can be sent instantaneously between the venues.

   Jonjo Glynn, Venues Director at White Light comments: “With Illuminate being such an innovative venue, it was crucial that the Smith Centre installation matched the technical capabilities of this. The Crestron NVX system allows for infinite flexibility, which is essential for meeting the bespoke needs of a broad range of clients.”

   

   Jodie Guilford, Business Development & Marketing Manager at the Science Museum adds: “Many of our clients are often looking for ways to extend the reach of their event content and increase their audience. The connection between our two newest venues means that they can achieve this all under our roof, with the ability to conduct large main plenary sessions and smaller breakouts simultaneously. This has significantly enhanced our events offer.”

   Illuminate is shortlisted in three categories for the forthcoming Event Technology Awards.

   Photos courtesy of Alex Paganelli

2. White Light Oversees Lighting Installation for Making the Modern World

   22 May 2018 11:24 Leave a Comment

   As one of the Science Museum’s flagship galleries, Making the Modern World features some of the museum’s most remarkable objects and is a one-of-a-kind setting for events, allowing clients access to artefacts from our history such as the Apollo 10 command module and the first Apple computer. Following a competitive tender, White Light was chosen to oversee a brand-new lighting installation in the Making the Modern World gallery.

   The project was designed by WL’s in-house lighting designer Jason Larcombe, who comments: “This project offered two main challenges. The first was to light the exhibits in a sympathetic manor, and the second was to provide a long term solution for lighting events driven by gallery improvements on the first floor.  We worked through a range of solutions with the museum which resulted in the new scheme”.

   The brief given to WL was to design and deliver a new lighting system that would allow the Gallery to maintain its existing look and feel during the day yet by night could be transformed for events. To fulfil such a brief, WL drew on their experience from another recent project. Jason states: “We installed a similar system at the Natural History Museum for the lighting within the Earth Halls. As a result, we knew exactly what technology to look at when approaching the Making the Modern World gallery”.

   WL wanted to introduce two specific elements to the gallery: a system of automated lights to add a degree of flexibility to the scheme, along with replacements for the gallery’s existing exhibit spotlighting.  All of this had to work within the realms of the Science Museum’s budget. Jason explains: “We knew an entirely new infrastructure would be extremely costly. As a result, we conceived a scheme that made use of existing lighting tracks and wiring, and relied upon wireless technology for data transfer, thus allowing us to maximise the spend on actual fixtures and avoid costly changes to infrastructure”.

   The fixtures WL drew on included the GLP impression X4 S. Jason comments: “We needed automated fixtures which were small and compact, light (due to weight restrictions) along with aesthetically discreet. The X4 S offered this”. For the Lower Level, WL drew on the SGM R2s which are a full colour-changing, compact exhibition spotlight. The track adaptors on the fittings were also modified by SGM to fit the Gallery’s existing infrastructure.

   For ease of use, the entire gallery now runs via Wireless Solutions Wireless DMX. There are four transmitters throughout the space and each automated fixture is paired with a micro-receiver, while the SGM fittings are fitted with wireless receivers as standard. Jason explains: “Due to the complex nature of the space, we realised that we needed to have clear coverage – something we could achieve with four transmitters. By ensuring that all spotlights had micro-receivers, this immediately reduced the need for any extra data cable and made it much easier to retro fit fittings”.

   The system runs from an Interactive Technologies Cue Server 2 that allows the space to be as versatile as possible. WL programmed the system so that it runs scenes by day, specifically for the exhibitions on show. WL also supplied an iPad that features pre-recorded scenes, colours and light different sections of the building’s architecture as well as provide facility for stage lighting and highlighting of food stations and bars.

   Jason explains: “What this means is that the Sales Team can use their iPads to show clients around the space and physically demonstrate its potential. No other similar museum we believe has this facility and it allows the Team to begin discussions with their clients at the very initial stages and close sales faster”.

   Due to the Gallery being in constant use, this meant that WL had to complete the installation over the course of a month. As part of the installation, WL will also provide a member of our venue services team to assist production companies when the gallery is used.

   Jason concludes: “Ultimately, we were able to fulfil the Science Museum’s procurement plan, listen closely to their exact requirements and create a model to make this happen; something we are in the unique position to offer as a company.  The museum now has a rich and highly flexible system that offers new sales potential”.

   Photos courtesy of James Mackenzie.

3. White Light Oversees Lighting Installation for Pink Floyd Exhibition at V & A Museum

   24 May 2017 01:38 Comments Off on White Light Oversees Lighting Installation for Pink Floyd Exhibition at V & A Museum

   Now open at the V & A Museum, The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains is the first international retrospective of one of the world’s most pioneering and influential bands. The exhibition offers an immersive and multi-sensory journey through the career of Pink Floyd, chronicling their music, design and staging, from the 1960’s through to the present day. Following the company’s work on last year’s EXHIBITIONISM, the Rolling Stone’s exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, White Light was called upon to oversee the lighting installation and supply the lighting equipment on this occasion.

   Produced by Concert Productions International, Their Mortal Remains was curated by Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, the Creative Director of Pink Floyd, who worked closely with band members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason. It is designed by Stufish Entertainment and the lighting designers are Woodroffe Bassett Design. WL’s Special Projects Director Simon Needle comments: “We were approached by Terry Cook, Senior Designer at Woodroffe Bassett, back in November 2016 about us coming on board. After working with them on the hugely successful EXHIBITIONISM, they asked us if we would be able to fulfil a similar role on this project”.

   WL was asked to supply all of the lighting equipment, install the fixtures and provide on-site crew. Simon adds: “This was a huge exhibition taking up three spaces at the V & A Museum. Having the experience of working on similar projects in the past, we knew we had both the staff and technology to deliver this”.

   Alongside Woodroffe Bassett’s Project Manager John Coman, WL made several site visits to the V & A in order to assess the different spaces. Working closely with Terry Cook and Rob Casey, Associate Lighting Designer at Woodroffe Bassett, WL invited them down to its London base to talk through their plans and the practicalities of installing the equipment. Simon states: “There are more than 350 artefacts on display so it was important that what we provided was not only practical for that space but also offered the right amount of coverage for every single feature”.

   For Their Mortal Remains, WL invested in a range of lighting fixtures specifically for this exhibition. These included ETC Source Four Minis, ETC Source Four Irideons, ETC ColourSource LEDs, ETC Source Four Fresnels, Chauvet Ovation LED Profiles, Philips Color Kinetics iW Fuse Powercores, KKDC Global TiMi 504s and Selecon Fresnels. The company also supplied a series of track-mounted LED birdies, industrial floodlights along with more than 250m of its own LED tape.

   

   Simon comments: “When we’re approached to work on a project like this, our role is to provide every element of the lighting; something we are in a position to do. Thanks to our close relationship with the leading lighting manufacturers, we were able to call upon them to supply us with the latest equipment for Their Mortal Remains; all of which we knew would be able to deliver WBD’s design”.

   With the previous V & A exhibition closing on 8^th March, this meant that WL had less than two months to prepare for the opening of Their Mortal Remains, which took place on 8^th May. Simon adds: “We were on site solidly for two months, working closely with Media Powerhouse, who supplied the AV, and Set Square, who supplied the set. The schedule was extremely tight with a definite deadline so we had to use our time as resourcefully as possible”.

   

   Following their work on the main exhibition, WL was then asked to provide lighting equipment for The Laserium; an area independent of the main exhibition which recreates the legendary Pink Floyd laser shows.

   Their Mortal Remains has now opened to rave reviews and will run until 1^st October 2017.

   Terry comments: “We are delighted with WL’s work on this exhibition. They were able to fulfil our brief, supplying both state-of-the-art equipment and the expertise to oversee a very specific installation. WBD are extremely proud of the exhibition and we hope the thousands of people attending feel they have experienced a little bit of the illuminated world of Pink Floyd.”

   Photos courtesy of LD Communications.

   For Woodroffe Bassett Design:
   Creative Lead – Patrick Woodroffe
   Lighting Designer – Terry Cook
   Associate Lighting Designer – Rob Casey
   Project Manager – John Coman
   Programmer – Warren Letton