University of Birmingham – Celebrating 125 Years
PSP were proud to support the University of Birmingham events team, working alongside Holosphere to help deliver a striking light show celebrating 125 years of research and education.
Working closely with the University team, we supported the creative vision using projection and media server technology, while carefully working around the Aston Webb building and its listed status.
The building was 3D scanned by Holosphere and turned into a detailed wireframe model, which we built into Pixera, a real‑time media‑server platform used to control and deliver large‑scale visual content. This provided an accurate base for the content. Using this framework, the team curated and created bespoke visuals designed to sit precisely across the architecture. Several evening tests were carried out ahead of the event to make sure the equipment and content worked exactly as planned for the maximum impact.
A key challenge was the building’s central windows, which needed to be blacked out to prevent light bleed. As a listed building, no fixings or permanent alterations were possible. Working closely with Scene Set, a safe internal blackout solution was devised, allowing the projections to land cleanly without causing any damage.
On the night, the show ran three times and formed part of a wider celebration that included a carol concert and the Christmas lights switch on. More than 10,000 people attended, with BBC West Midlands also covering the event. During an interview, Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Tickell described the show as having “brought a tear to his eye”.
The project was a true behind-the-scenes team effort, with Holosphere leading the creative vision and PSP supporting as technical specialists to deliver a seamless show in a complex and historic environment. It was a real privilege to be involved in such a landmark moment for the University of Birmingham. As a proud Birmingham‑based business, and with Birmingham being our home city, it made the occasion even more special. We’d be honoured to be part of the next big anniversary as well… even if that one’s a little way off.