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The new Leyard LED wall replaces a dual-projection system in the Kelvin Lecture Theatre at IET Savoy Place in London (Image: Leyard)
The new Leyard LED wall replaces a dual-projection system in the Kelvin Lecture Theatre at IET Savoy Place in London (Image: Leyard)

LED: IET Savoy Place Replaces Projection with Leyard LED

Savoy Place replaces projection with a 4K LED wall designed for hybrid events, live production, and long-term operation.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has upgraded the Kelvin Lecture Theatre at its flagship Savoy Place venue in London with a large-format LED display from Leyard Europe, replacing a dual-projector system to support hybrid events, live broadcasting and in-person presentations.

The installation, completed by Snelling Business Systems, centers on a 7.26 x 4.08-meter (23.8 x 13.4-foot) LED wall with a 1.8-mm pixel pitch. The project also included new Colorlight processing alongside upgrades to the venue’s Analog Way, Lightware and Q-SYS infrastructure while retaining compatible elements of the existing AV system.

Designed for broadcast and hybrid events

The Kelvin Lecture Theatre hosts conferences, lectures, corporate events and productions streamed through IET.tv. According to Snelling Business Systems, the brief called for a display capable of supporting native 4K workflows, broadcast production and platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, while improving brightness, reliability and viewing angles over the previous projection system.

The LED wall also supports Genlock synchronization through the Colorlight processor, allowing it to integrate with broadcast camera workflows while minimizing artifacts during filming.

Replacing projection with LED

The DirectLight Pro display was selected following a technical and commercial evaluation of several LED products. According to Snelling, its Chip-on-Board (CoB) technology, native 4K resolution and 10-bit color processing were key factors, along with compatibility with the venue’s existing AV infrastructure.

Energy efficiency also influenced the decision. Leyard says the installed wall consumes an average of 2.88 kW, around 31% less power than the next closest shortlisted alternative and more than 40% below the average of competing products. The system can also be fully powered down when the theatre is not in use.

Venue reports increased demand

Since the installation, IET says bookings for the Kelvin Lecture Theatre have increased by 56%, although the venue notes that marketing for the upgraded space began before the December installation, helping secure bookings ahead of completion.