Project summary

The International Conference Centre (ICC) in Birmingham opened in 1991, and is the UK’s premier purpose-built convention centre. It has a total capacity of 8,000, with the largest hall accommodating 3,000 delegates or providing 3,050m2 of exhibition space. The complex also includes Birmingham Symphony Hall, regarded as one of the finest concert halls in the world. Acoustically perfect, it can accommodate up to 2,000 people and is available for major events.

At the time that the ICC opened, its lighting control systems combined the very latest in performance technology with unrivalled functionality. Nineteen years later, the ICC is looking to upgrade the lighting control systems to maintain their reliability and to equip the complex for the next twenty years.

Charcoalblue is providing technical design guidance to the ICC on the replacement of the lighting control systems and fittings throughout the complex, including Symphony Hall. To enable the systems to be replaced without requiring the closure of the facility, Charcoalblue has also developed a proposal for dividing the works into a number of discrete packages which will allow the complex to continue to operate while the refurbishment is taking place, minimising the disruption to the ICC's operations and reducing loss of income as a result of the works.

Charcoalblue's proposals incorporate the best and most appropriate of available technologies, to ensure that the installation will still be meeting the operational needs of the ICC in another twenty years' time.