Just a few days after the historic discovery in 2012 in a Leicester car park, the University of Leicester asked us to install a simple frame marquee over the grave to provide shelter & privacy. Three years later, not only did the University request a bespoke manufactured clear frame canopy to cover the coffin and dignitaries for the day of reinternment, but they also instructed us to provide a complete infrastructure package for the day, which meant arranging portable flooring, a media marquee, a world media stage and crowd control barriers.
Day 1 ~ Predicting a possible problem with students/tutors/general public wanting to walk through a work zone, the solution was to create a portable pathway around the site using plastic ‘gridmat’, after this was installed, the specialist stage company arrive and constructed a 2-tier stage capable of supporting the world’s media. On this day we also installed the media marquee.
Day 2 ~ Clearspan marquee canopy with bespoke clear PVC roof install ~ great care was taken to install this structure due to the prime location within the University, vehicle movement was kept to a minimum, we even laid carpets underneath the lorries to ensure clean paving on the special day!
Day 3 ~ Rehearsals, a beautiful spring day, clear blue sky, everything going to plan.
Sunday 22nd March 2015 ~ Ceremony marking the departure of the mortal remains of King Richard III prior to reinternment ~ The day was a great success.
Bespoke manufacturing project for the reinternment of King Richard III, 22nd March 2015
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We all know the story of ‘The King in the Car Park’, this case study describes our involvement with the University of Leicester to mark this historic day.
A moment in history
Every now and then we are asked to install a marquee for a funeral, even over the grave area to provide some privacy, however, it's not often you receive a phonecall to say we think we've found King Richard III in a car park! Within hours there was a Kingsmead marquee protecting the site and providing privacy. A few years later we were asked to project manage the reinternment, and manufacture a bespoke clear roof marquee for the day itself.
The car park ~ 2012
Clearspan marquee 6m wide x 12m long, window walls
Reinternment ~ 22nd March 2015
We were trusted with providing a clear structure over the coffin and dignitaries on the day King Richard III was handed back to the city of Leicester. Three 15m x 3m clear roof panels were manufactured, along with subtle black PVC jackets for the concrete ballast weights which were needed to stabilise the structure. The University then asked us to coordinate the infrastructure of the day, so we got involved in portable flooring, stage, media and crowd control.
The clear marquee was perfectly suited for its purpose, and the day passed without a hitch.
Main Marquee
Clearspan marquee 15m wide x 9m deep x 3m leg height.
Bespoke manufactured clear roof sheets, 2 x bespoke 3m high window walls in bay nearest to building
Concrete ballast weights with bespoke subtle black PVC covers
Media Marquee
Clearspan marquee 9m wide x 18m long, entrance doors, fluorescent lighting, concrete ballast weights
Other providers
The following companies helped in making this event so successful
I would like to add my thanks for all your support for making the King Richard Ill departure from the University such a great event, and for enabling the KRIll Open Day yesterday.
Construction Gallery
The 3 day build schedule went without a hitch. firstly the footprint of the 2-tier media stage was measured, then portable pathway was laid to ensure students and public could walk around the installation site. The stage then arrived and was installed perfectly level on the sloping grass site, the day finished with the press marquee. Day 2 concentrated in the main clear structure, great care was taken not to damage any of the paving slabs, even carpet was laid underneath the lorries! Crowd control barriers arrived, rehearsals took place later that day, then everything was finally in place for the big day.
