A Beacon for All
In the 1940s and 1950s, it was popular to top the tallest building 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 lighting 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 Hotel Concord will display a caution tape lighting scheme.
The Hotel Concord continues this tradition of keeping local citizens and guests informed of the weather with its own lighting atop our Capital Commons building. We use the same color codes as the rhyme, but also take requests for unique colors and lighting schemes to commemorate community causes, special occasions and other events. To submit a building lighting request, please fill out the form below.
Approved & Scheduled Lighting
This calendar shows the approved and scheduled lighting for The Hotel Concord. The Hotel Concord encourages others to promote lighting schemes on social media using @HotelConcordNH and #LiveFreeAndStay in addition to the relevant social media handles/hashtags listed below for the organization and cause/event. (If you live locally or pass our building on the highway and are wondering the meaning of the colors, feel free to add this calendar to your Google Calendar.)
Purpose
The purpose is to commemorate community causes, special occasions and other events.
Eligibility
Nonpartisan, nonprofit, and charitable events or causes are eligible to make a request. Lighting will not be considered for commercial entities or personal occasions.
Requests
All requests must be made by filling out and submitting the The Hotel Concord Building 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. Lighting 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 representative of the organization making the request. All approvals 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.