It took a lot of planning and coordination for the four-sided LED video structure, known as the Monolith, on Beyoncé’s Formation world tour. The centerpiece of Es Devlin’s production design for the tour, it is the result of a collaboration between Stageco, Tait and PRG Nocturne. The 180-ton monolith’s structural elements were custom-manufactured and supplied by Stageco in partnership with Belgian motion control systems provider WIcreations. It measures 22 by 16 by 9 meters in size (about 72 by 52.5 by 29.5 feet, HxWxD). Stageco also provided the 203 by 115 foot stage (62 by 35 meters, WxD), in which the monolith is embedded. The monolith sits on a circular 360° track that rotates in both directions at a speed of 200mm per second, taking about three minutes and 20 seconds to complete a full rotation. Tait worked closely with both Stageco and PRG Nocturne to mount all of the LED video modules onto the structure. And if the rotating and video-splitting mechanics weren’t challenging enough, the design also called for automated doors to be embedded within the LED screens.
—PLSN, “Video Staging,” June 2016, page 60
