BAFTA’s headquarters at 195 Piccadilly has undergone the transformation of a lifetime. The listed building, occupied by BAFTA since 1976, was formerly home to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and has been completely remodelled and restructured.
The re-model improved the building’s facilities and doubled its capacity enabling BAFTA to dramatically increase its charitable programme. 195 Piccadilly will be a creative centre for film, games and television and the central hub for BAFTA’s UK-wide, and global, learning and talent development programme. BAFTA works throughout the year to find and promote the next generation of talent and to break down the barriers that can make it hard to build careers in the creative industries.
The new lighting concept provides widely contrasting flexibility between lighting effects that support conference events, meetings, fine dining, hospitality, exhibitions and cinematic lighting while keeping the BAFTA style throughout.
The Princess Anne Theatre now showcases Dolby’s latest true black screen technology and Atmos surround sound system. The lighting supports this experience. Light fittings disappear in the ceiling without creating any unwanted reflections from the screen, leaving the guest in awe of true blackness in the cinema experience of a lifetime. The intimate Run Run Shaw Screening Room has more playful lighting, with colour changing lines of light in the ceiling, that disappear in the fabric behind black diffusers when switched off, combined with miniature downlights that have extremely low glare levels even at full output. All types of lighting have seamless dimming down to zero.
Visitors can relax at one of several bars BAFTA has to offer, each with its own lighting and style. For great events, moveable walls can be removed to open up rooms and control them together as a single event space. The LED chandelier with RGBW glowing rods and pre-set colour changing modes can set the mood for any party. The Ray Dolby Room will be able to cater to all future event needs with its 360-degree wall projection mapping, colour changing cove lighting and integrated pinhole downlights. It has a dining, party and exhibition scene as well as a conference lighting setup.
The top floor sets the mood for a relaxed and cosy evening for BAFTA members and their guests. Two large historic rooflights, restored and raised by one level, provide plenty of daylight during the day while small spotlights hidden in the roof structure provide general illumination to the floor below.
The lighting is fully controllable from multiple locations across the four storey building allowing lighting to work with the complex audio visual features through the spaces.
BAFTA’s 195 headquarters is now again a shining jewel of entertainment.
For more, visit www.bafta.org. Registered charity number 216726.
