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Sharp NEC Display Solutions client installation – Rental and Staging

British Academy

Historic elegance blended with modern technology

The British Academy has enhanced its historic London venue to increase its potential for public and private events. By combining Georgian elegance with modern technology, including a 4m x 4m LED display, the Academy has created a standout events space to expand its reach and deepen its efforts to connect with the public and support research.

Located in a historic Georgian townhouse designed by architect John Nash and overlooking The Mall in central London, the British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. The transformation of the Academy’s lower ground floor was completed last year to create modern, flexible and accessible events spaces while respecting the building’s original beauty and character. Specialist architects Wright & Wright led the renovation, focusing on accessibility and sustainability, while Recursive designed the AV within the event spaces and Media Powerhouse managed the AV integration.

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The Challenge

The plan was to transform the Academy’s warren of lower-ground floor rooms, previously a network of unused corridors and former office spaces, into three double-height, light-filled, bespoke events spaces. The SHAPE Room, the Lecture Room, and the Wohl Gallery deliver nearly 500 square metres of extra space significantly increasing the building’s audience capacity. In the impressively airy Lecture Room, a conventional 16:9 display would have lacked impact, so Recursive envisioned a bold digital canvas, breaking away from standard formats to take advantage of the available space.

The Solution

The flexibility of Sharp’s bezel-free modular LED technology made this vision possible, enabling a square display tailored precisely to the room’s proportions.

By engaging Sharp early in the process, Recursive took full advantage of the company’s engineering expertise and high-quality LED technology. The extended lead time provided the flexibility to develop a bespoke solution. By combining standard 16:9 and half-sized modules, the team created a seamless, square 4m x 4m display. This bold visual centrepiece offers high-definition resolution and brilliant colour performance, even in the naturally bright room. The 1.9mm pixel pitch LED-FE Series ensures deep contrast and vibrant detail.

Designed for both aesthetics and efficiency, the LED modules emit minimal heat, allowing close wall integration with a flush rear profile. They are front-serviceable for easy maintenance and housed in a precision-machined aluminium frame that ensures lasting reliability and perfect alignment.

All rooms are fully equipped for videoconferencing, streaming and recording, and provide monitoring for overflow into the other spaces.

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The Result

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The British Academy’s Lecture Room installation showcases the creative potential of LED technology when paired with thoughtful design and trusted engineering. Sharp’s custom LED solution not only met the architectural challenge but also elevated the lecture room into an immersive audiovisual events space.

The British Academy project has delivered a fully scalable, modern event space inside one of London’s most historically significant buildings. Spaces are now more accessible, flexible and generate more revenue, which allows the British Academy to fund more research and increase its public outreach.

The project stands as a testament to effective collaboration between the many parties involved, resulting in a remarkable outcome that honours the building’s legacy while embracing innovation.