Opening the academic year in style

22/09/2023

Charleroi is a city on the move. Anyone visiting the Zénobe Gramme building today (just under 20,000 square meters of gross floor area) will be captivated by the industrial grandeur of the early 20th century. Just under 20,000 square meters of gross floor area were constructed in 1903 for the 1911 Charleroi International Exhibition. The centerpiece is the magnificent grand hall crafted from glass and steel (aka: an acoustic brainteaser during events).

Over the past three years, Zénobe Gramme has been transformed into an academic hub, uniting the expertise of ULB, UMONS, the Open University of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and the higher education institutions of the province of Hainaut. The Whitemilk team is finalising the cutting-edge audiovisual equipment of the classrooms and auditoriums.

But now it was time to inaugurate the academic year for ULB and UMONS right here. One of our challenges: the large, tall stage and our bigger-than-life LED wall had to stand freely in the space. Absolutely nothing could be affixed to the walls or ceilings. Furthermore, we wanted to position the wall at an elevated height, taking into account the audience size and camera angles. Thus, on day 1, we constructed a structure with immense load-bearing capacity. Day 2 was for testing, rehearsing, and providing the audience with a memorable evening. And for dismantling. Because on the early morning of day 3, the equipment was already en route to its next location.