Lumen and Forge projects Liberty and Lights on West Virginia Capitol dome

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 public display turned Cass Gilbert’s gold-leafed dome into a tribute to West Virginia and the nation, showing how states may mark the U.S. semiquincentennial without fireworks-heavy staging.

Why it matters: - The West Virginia State Capitol show gave the state a public, noninvasive way to mark America’s 250th birthday on a historic landmark. - The production showed how projection mapping can replace or supplement fireworks at sensitive sites where fire risk, noise, air quality and animal welfare are concerns. - The project also offers a model for future semiquincentennial celebrations: locally tailored, technically precise and free to the public.

What happened: - Lumen and Forge completed a four-night projection mapping production called "Liberty and Lights" on the dome and façade of the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston. - The show ran July 2-5, 2026, as part of the state’s official America250 Capital City Celebration. - The marquee performance took place on Independence Day. - Shows ran nightly between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., with repeats about every 15 minutes. - The activation was built for tens of thousands of visitors moving through the Capitol Complex grounds.

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 is roughly 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. - The building’s gold leaf, curved surfaces, colonnaded drum, deep window recesses and Corinthian porticos created major projection challenges. - The protected structure allowed no rigging, anchoring or physical alteration. - Lumen and Forge began surveying months ahead of the event. - Specialized drones photographed sections of the Capitol Complex to build a digital twin of the building. - The production was designed against a millimeter-accurate virtual Capitol before any projector was placed. - The studio used 3D planning to validate sightlines, brightness, throw distances, blending zones and audience positioning. - The workflow included Cinema 4D, AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Rhino and SketchUp. - The show content was written specifically for West Virginia rather than adapted from generic patriotic material. - The narrative linked the nation’s founding story with West Virginia’s statehood, industry, landscapes and people. - State officials cited projection displays on the Washington Monument as the benchmark for the Charleston production. - The Capitol dome’s height and the four-day schedule added complexity on a live public site. - The site also included a 230-foot Ferris wheel, concert stages and a festival midway. - The larger Capital City Celebration featured the America250 Wheel, billed as the world’s tallest 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 programming 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 underscores how civic spectacle is shifting from single-use fireworks toward reusable visual storytelling. - Lumen and Forge’s process reflects a broader move toward pre-visualized production, where the building geometry drives the creative instead of the other way around. - The state’s choice to localize the narrative suggests public commemoration is becoming more place-specific and less generic. - The reference point to the Washington Monument signals that states now look to nationally recognized projection events as a benchmark for major civic installations.

What’s next: - Lumen and Forge is likely to keep building on large-scale architectural projection work as states, cities and brands seek high-impact public events. - The Charleston installation may influence how other states stage America250 observances over the next several years. - The company’s broader portfolio suggests more work across stadium-adjacent, heritage-site and festival-scale environments.

The bottom line: - West Virginia used its state capitol dome to turn America250 into a free, site-specific public show — and Lumen and Forge showed how advanced projection mapping can make historic architecture the main stage.