It’s 7:30 PM on Friday, October 6, 2023. Some are rushing to return home after a long week of work, while others are strolling with their loved ones or friends, looking to start the weekend right. Suddenly, the SBM Tower comes to life! Images animate the iconic building. This is the spectacle that the residents of Port-Louis were treated to during the official celebration of the Bank’s 50th anniversary. The show, innovative and unique in Mauritius, especially due to the technical feats required for its execution, features projections and lasers on and from two sides of the SBM Tower. It will be visible to the general public until Sunday, October 15.
The official celebration of SBM’s 50th anniversary had a special touch. To truly mark this significant milestone in its history, the Bank put together a unique and unprecedented spectacle in Mauritius, featuring the projection of a video onto two sides of the SBM Tower. The Friday evening was also marked by the presence of internationally renowned ‘sand artist’ Fatmir Mura, whose “living” sand art creations were also projected onto the SBM Tower, covering an area of 1,200 square meters – a first for artistic representation in Mauritius. Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth was the guest of honor at this official celebration of SBM’s 50th anniversary.
“This video projection on the iconic SBM Tower is our way of expressing gratitude to all those who have contributed to the success of SBM over the past five decades. We want Mauritians to enjoy this magnificent spectacle in the days to come as we celebrate this significant milestone in our history. This show further underscores our commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer service, principles that have always guided us since the establishment of SBM in 1973. We are now fully focused on our goals of taking the Bank and the Mauritian economy to new levels of growth,” stated Mr. Raoul Gufflet, Group Chief Executive Officer of SBM Holdings Ltd, during a banquet organized to mark the official celebrations of SBM’s 50th anniversary on Friday.
Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Sanjaiye Rawoteea, Acting Chief Executive Officer of SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, stated, “We are grateful to our customers and employees for their continued trust, and we are determined to remain the preferred financial partner for the people of Mauritius. This 50th anniversary has been an opportunity to celebrate our past and present while looking confidently towards the future. I am sure that the video projection on the SBM Tower will delight Mauritians, and I invite everyone to come and enjoy this spectacle in large numbers, with friends and family.”
Starting from Saturday, October 7th, until Sunday, the 15th, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy seven projections each evening, each lasting for ten minutes, at the following times: 7:30 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:30 PM, 9:00 PM, 9:30 PM, 10:00 PM, and 10:30 PM. A special platform of 240 square meters has been set up for this purpose on the Port Louis Waterfront, in front of the former central post office, and will be accessible to the public starting from Saturday, October 7th.
This spectacle is the result of a remarkable technical and human feat. Its realization required hundreds of hours of work in research, site visits, design, creation, image programming, lighting, and laser programming.
– The video is projected on 2,000 square meters of white vinyl-treated screens attached to two sides of the SBM Tower and requires over 220 projectors.
– The show involves the use of five high-powered lasers ranging from 30 to 50 watts each.
– Everything is synchronized in real-time and accompanied by music.
– The audience can scan a QR code on one of the three interactive kiosks installed around the SBM Tower (at the Metro Express station in Place d’Armes, Port Louis Waterfront, and in front of the Shibani building) to access the synchronized music via streaming and fully enjoy the spectacle.
