Lumen and Forge maps West Virginia Capitol for America 250 celebration

Lumen and Forge projected a four-night show onto the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston for the state’s official America 250 celebration. The installation turned the 293-foot gold-leafed dome into a public canvas for Independence Day week and showed how states are using projection mapping for historic sites.

Why it matters: - The West Virginia Capitol show gave the state a high-profile way to mark America’s 250th birthday without fireworks on the building itself. - The project showed how projection mapping can serve public celebrations at protected historic sites with no rigging, anchoring, or physical changes to the structure. - The event also offered a reusable model for future semiquincentennial commemorations that are free to the public.

What happened: - Lumen and Forge completed a four-night projection mapping show called "Liberty and Lights" on the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston. - The production ran July 2-5, 2026, during the state’s official America250 Capital City Celebration on the Capitol Complex grounds. - The marquee performance fell on Independence Day. - Shows ran nightly between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. and repeated about every 15 minutes. - The format let tens of thousands of visitors see the full narrative without needing a single fixed viewing time.

The details: - The Capitol was designed by Cass Gilbert, dedicated in June 1932, and faced in Indiana limestone over a structural steel frame. - The building’s 23-karat gold-leafed dome rises 293 feet above the Kanawha River. - The dome is about five feet taller than the U.S. Capitol dome and remains 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 especially difficult. - Lumen and Forge started survey work months in advance. - Specialized drones photographed sections of the Capitol Complex to build a digital twin of the building. - The team used that model to design and pre-visualize every frame before projector placement. - The studio modeled and rendered the activation in Cinema 4D, with supporting work in AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Rhino, and SketchUp. - The approach let the team validate sightlines, brightness, throw distances, blending zones, and audience positioning before load-in. - The show was written specifically for West Virginia rather than adapted from generic patriotic content. - The narrative linked the nation’s founding story with West Virginia’s statehood, industry, landscapes, and people. - The production was mapped across a building long known as "The People’s Building." - State officials used earlier projection work on the Washington Monument as the benchmark for the Charleston show. - The Capitol Complex event site also included a 230-foot Ferris wheel, multiple concert stages, and a festival midway. - The broader Capital City Celebration featured the America250 Wheel, described as the world’s tallest portable Ferris wheel, with 45 gondolas for the 45 U.S. presidents. - The schedule also included free concerts by ALABAMA, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and The Marshall Tucker Band. - Additional programming included an official ceremony honoring Gold Star Families and veterans, historical exhibits, guided Capitol tours, artisan markets, fireworks, and the Sternwheel Regatta.

Between the lines: - The Charleston project shows how cities and states are shifting from traditional pyrotechnics toward projection at heritage sites where fire risk, noise, air quality, and animal welfare matter. - The work also underscores that civic spectacle now depends as much on surveying, modeling, and software as on the final night-time display. - Lumen and Forge is positioning its output as both technical infrastructure and storytelling for large public events. - The studio has more than 15 years of industry experience and a portfolio built around landmark-scale projection.

What’s next: - The company’s broader body of work suggests more large-scale civic and brand installations ahead as public events look for reusable visual formats. - The Charleston production may become a reference point for other states planning America 250 celebrations. - The model is especially relevant for sites that need a high-impact display without altering a protected structure.

The bottom line: - Lumen and Forge turned one of West Virginia’s most recognizable landmarks into a history-driven public spectacle, and did it in a way that preserved the building while expanding what state celebrations can look like.