Lumen and Forge lights West Virginia Capitol for America 250

Lumen and Forge completed a four-night projection mapping show on the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston for the state’s America250 celebration. The project paired historic preservation constraints with large-scale civic spectacle, offering a public model for semiquincentennial commemorations.

Why it matters: - The Charleston installation showed how projection mapping can replace or supplement fireworks at historic sites where fire risk, noise, air quality, and animal welfare are concerns. - The show left no residue, touched nothing and can be re-programmed for future anniversaries. - The project also offered a template for state-level America 250 events that are historically grounded, locally authored, technically rigorous and free to the public.

What happened: - Lumen and Forge completed a four-night projection mapping production on the dome and façade of the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston. - The show, titled "Liberty and Lights," ran during the America250 Capital City Celebration from July 2 through July 5, 2026. - The marquee performance fell on Independence Day. - Shows ran nightly between 9 and 10 p.m. and repeated about every 15 minutes. - The production was part of West Virginia’s official celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The details: - The West Virginia State Capitol was designed by Cass Gilbert and dedicated in June 1932. - The building is faced in Indiana limestone over a structural steel frame. - Its 23-karat gold-leafed dome rises 293 feet above the Kanawha River. - The dome stands about five feet taller than the U.S. Capitol dome and is the tallest state capitol dome in the country. - The Capitol is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. - Gold leaf, curved surfaces, a colonnaded drum, deep window recesses and Corinthian porticos made projection mapping difficult. - The protected structure allowed no rigging, anchoring or physical alteration. - Lumen and Forge surveyed the site months ahead of time using specialized drones. - The drone work generated the geometry needed for a digital twin of the Capitol Complex. - The team built and pre-visualized every frame against a millimeter-accurate virtual Capitol before projector placement. - The studio used Cinema 4D, with supporting work in AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Rhino and SketchUp. - The production design was built specifically for West Virginia, not adapted from generic patriotic content. - The narrative tied together the nation’s founding story with West Virginia’s statehood, industry, landscapes and people. - The building is known locally as "The People's Building." - State officials had pointed to projection displays on the Washington Monument as the benchmark for the Charleston show. - The Capitol project had to work within a four-day window on a live public site shared with a 230-foot Ferris wheel, concert stages and a festival midway. - The broader Capital City Celebration included the America250 Wheel, a portable Ferris wheel with 45 gondolas, one for each U.S. president. - The celebration also included free concerts by ALABAMA, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and The Marshall Tucker Band. - Other events included an official ceremony honoring Gold Star Families and veterans, historical exhibits, guided Capitol tours, artisan markets and fireworks. - The celebration coincided with Charleston’s Sternwheel Regatta.

Between the lines: - The project reflects how civic events are becoming more technical and more site-specific as states compete to make semiquincentennial celebrations distinctive. - Lumen and Forge positioned the Capitol show as both a heritage piece and a proof point for large-format projection in tightly controlled public settings. - The company’s front-loaded 3D planning process reduced risk on a one-time national deadline.

What's next: - Lumen and Forge said the Charleston project demonstrates a model for future state America 250 observances. - The company will likely keep using projection mapping for large civic, sports and entertainment installations as demand grows. - The semiquincentennial calendar gives states more opportunities to repurpose projection-based commemorations over multiple years.

The bottom line: - West Virginia used a historic Capitol building as a high-impact canvas for America 250, and Lumen and Forge turned a preservation challenge into a public-facing spectacle.