Building Lights

A Beacon for All

In the 1940s and '50s, it was popular to top the tallest building in town with a system of colored lights signifying changes in the weather. One of the most famous weather beacons in the United States was lit atop the Berkeley Building (commonly known as the Old John Hancock Building) in downtown Boston in 1950. The lights indicating weather changes were easy to remember through a clever rhyme (which has been modified for Capital Commons):

Steady blue, clear view
[Dashing] blue, clouds due
Steady red, storms ahead
[Dashing] red, snow instead

In addition, when a snow emergency is announced by the City of Concord, the lighting will display a caution tape lighting scheme.

The Hotel Concord continues this tradition of keeping local citizens and guests informed with its own set of weather lights atop our Capital Commons building. We use the same color codes as the rhyme, but also take requests for unique colors and light schemes to commemorate community causes, special occasions and other events. To submit a lighting request to The Hotel Concord, please fill out the form below.

Approved Requests

Please see the list of approved requests. The Hotel Concord encourages others to promote lighting schemes on social media using @HotelConcordNH and #LiveFreeAgain in addition to the relevant social media handles/hashtags listed below for the organization and cause/event.

View Calendar

Scheduled Lighting Schemes

Please the list of scheduled lighting schemes for specific holidays, local educational institutions, community events and sporting events.

Purpose

The purpose is to celebrate international, national and community events or causes.

Eligibility

Non-denominational, nonprofit, and charitable events or causes are eligible to make a request. Lighting will not be considered for commercial entities, personal occasions, or religious observances.

Requests

All requests must be made by filling out and submitting the Lighting Request Form on this webpage. There is no automatic renewal agreement. A new request must be submitted annually as needed. Requests are typically handled on a first come, first served basis. Requests must be received a minimum of thirty (30) days and a maximum of one (1) year in advance of the lighting date(s) requested. Lightings in honor of holidays, historical events, and extraordinary events/occurrences of city, state, national or international significance, and/or city and community initiatives will be considered. The request must be submitted by a management representative of the official organization making the request. All requests are at the sole discretion of The Hotel Concord.

Response

Applicants will receive an electronic response approximately within two weeks of the request date stating whether the request has been approved. Not all requests can be accommodated. If an application is declined, it is not a reflection of the merits or importance of the request.

Evaluation & Other Considerations

Requests will be evaluated based on factors including:

• nature of cause/event,
• history and background of organization's cause/event,
• how the lighting will benefit the cause/event,
• the relationship of the lighting to the cause/event, and
• relevance to the community.

The Hotel Concord may override any existing and confirmed lighting in support of community, national or international emergency observances and will work with requestors to best accommodate or reschedule the original request. No organization may request lighting for more than four (4) consecutive days. The length of time for each approved request is entirely at the discretion of The Hotel Concord. The Hotel Concord endeavors to accommodate as many requests as possible and requests are typically handled on a first come, first served basis. Priority in choosing colors for lighting will be given to promoting events that celebrate the community, civic institutions, local educational institutions, city-recognized holidays, public events, and festivals. Requests to change the color or pattern of the decorative lights may be accommodated when feasible. If multiple requests are made for different colors on the same dates, preference will be given to events that are locally organized and that affect the largest number of community residents. Requests from commercial entities seeking to promote a product or service, or individual requests to recognize a personal birthday or anniversary will not be approved. The Hotel Concord retains the right to refuse any request for any reasons whatsoever.

RGB Color Model

The building lighting system uses a standard RGB color model. The RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue lights are added together in various combinations to reproduce a broad array of color known as real color. Requests for specific colors or tones not considered as real may not be able to be achieved due to limitations associated with lighting capabilities on the current color model.