BARCO Lights Up UK's Millennium Celebrations

From 31 December 1999 through the Millennium year 2000, the Dome, London’s official landmark for the Millennium celebrations, will be visited by millions of people from all over the world. The Dome at London’s Greenwich is an amazing day out. Fourteen impressive interactive exhibition ‘zones’ focusing on society, culture and the environment and themed around life in the year 2000 and beyond, surround the central arena providing a showcase of the best of design, staging and presentation technology. A dancing, flying and acrobatic show takes place three times a day in the central arena of the Dome. Skyscape, a giant cinema and concert venue outside the Dome shows a specially commissioned feature film. The attractions are based on the theme "Time to make a difference".



The Dome Opening Ceremony on the eve of 31 December 1999 was watched by a 10,000 audience in the Dome and a television audience of tens of millions around the world. In addition to the special Millennium Show images in the central arena - shortly before midnight, pictures of the breaking millennium from around the world were broadcast live, allowing all to see the historic and visual spectacular unfolding.



In order to display dynamic images in the Central Arena and many other Zones, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) selected BARCO to supply and install 2 giant DLite LED-based daylight display solutions and more than 60 large screen projection systems.



Over 100 sqm of the highest resolution DLite 7 daylight display LED screens were supplied for use at the Dome Opening Ceremony and throughout the year of operation, offering maximum image quality from all viewing angles in high ambient light conditions.



BARCO’s DLite 7 daylight displays are used in the Central Arena to supplement the ‘Central Show’ and at the entrance of the Dome to give guests up to the minute information on events taking place in the Dome and its surrounding areas.



In addition, in excess of 60 units from BARCO’s brand new ELM Series DLP- and BARCO’s compact yet high performance 6300 Series LCD-projection systems have been supplied to provide unsurpassed image quality within and around the Zones.



Welcoming BARCO as a Preferred Solutions Provider, NMEC’s Head of AV, Richard Wathen commented: "BARCO had been consistently nominated throughout the earliest design discussions for the Dome as a high performance display solution provider with a product range that operates true to form and reliability. The decision to appoint BARCO as a Preferred Solution Provider was logical. For the Central Show and specifically at the Opening Ceremony when the eyes of the World will be focused on the Dome, BARCO’s DLite Digital Daylight Display LED technology was a sound choice. For an event of this significance and visibility and for a project as prestigious as the Dome, what we really wanted was the very best."



Says Martin Howe, BARCO UK’s Projection Systems General Manager, "The areas in which our product fit best are these areas, where the requirements are most demanding. We are at a point in time where the technology available to us can be applied in ways we have so far, only dreamed of. The Dome provides the most magnificent showcase for BARCO. From our earliest discussions with NMEC we understood the challenges that lay ahead and viewed the Dome as a perfect match for us. We knew we could provide and support the unique technology the Dome requires. This project has allowed us to display BARCO’s product and support flexibility at it’s very best. The intelligence of products such as BARCO’s ELM DLP and the 6000 Series LCD family has made possible some of the challenging Zone image requirements. It’s good to think our technology has participated in bringing the different Zone designers visions to life. We are proud to be part of a project that symbolizes the endless opportunities of the new millennium. If we achieve only one thing out of this project I hope it will be to inspire."

For more information, please contact

Inge Govaerts
Public Relations Manager
Barco - Media & Entertainment

Telephone +32 56 36 8052
inge.govaerts@barco.com