Elegant Nexera Colors Grace Nobel Prize Banquet

Each December the Nobel Prize Banquet, which follows the Nobel Peace Prize awards, fills Stockholm's City Hall.

It's one of the most important events of the year, and the lighting is taken as seriously as the prestigious guest list. Because it's broadcast worldwide by Swedish television, the banquet must look stunning on the small screen.

There are strict rules regarding rigging and visibility, and the architectural details of the hall's interior must be enhanced by the lighting, not overpowered.

City Hall was built between 1911-1923 to the design of architect Ragnar Östberg. Inspired by the palaces of the Renaissance, the building surrounded two squares or "piazzas" – Borgargården and the Blue Hall.

Spectra Stage and Event Technologies of Stockholm was once again brought in to light the Nobel Prize Banquet. Following its appointment by PRG Europe as Swedish dealer for Wybron, Spectra decided to use the event to showcase the Wybron Nexera luminaire in a regal way.

Fourteen Nexera wash lights were positioned along the east wall of the Blue Hall at the bottom of each 25-foot-high recessed doorway, flooding the columns with color. The colorful columns acted as a backdrop for the Allmänna Sången Choir performing during the banquet.

Lighting Designer Per Sundin, who has been involved in lighting the event for nine years explained, "The lighting had to be subtle but special. I saw the doorways and envisioned beautiful columns of warm color that would highlight the brick detail.

"I wanted to have exact control over the soft color changes and wanted a different look to appear while the choir sang on the balcony," Sundin said. "Not only do the Nexeras give lovely color with smooth changes, but they are extremely quiet, which was important at an event like this."

"Plus, they look great on TV."

Spectra Production Manager Ola Melzig was thrilled with the results.

"The Nexeras rocked!" he said. "They gave us a cost-effective solution with absolutely fantastic results. Plus they were easy to set up and never gave us a single problem, which instantly makes me a huge fan."

The rest of the lighting throughout the hall was also warm and subtle, and the overall look was a perfect compliment to the soft candlelight on the banquet tables where the guests enjoyed dinner. Dinner was concluded with fireworks projected on the ceiling, followed by cocktails and dancing in the adjacent Gold Hall.

After another successful year of giving the Blue Hall an entirely new look while still retaining an elegant and intimate atmosphere, Sundin jokes, "I just love the look of theatrical lighting in architectural spaces. If it were just candles every year, it would get boring ... and I wouldn't have a job!"

Photo courtesy of Louise Stickland