“Once in a lifetime event”: ten years since the Avengers assembled for filming in Norwich
By: Communications
It is ten years this month since Chris Evans, Robert Downey Junior, and Chris Hemsworth, gathered at an art museum on the University of East Anglia (UEA) campus for the filming of Avengers.
Famous for housing the works of Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, and Francis Bacon, the Sainsbury Centre on UEA campus became the location of Marvel’s New Avengers Facility in upstate New York in June 2014.
First debuting in The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), interior and exterior shots of the world-class art museum and renowned Norman Foster building also appear in subsequent films.
Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Stark (Robert Downey Junior) are seen walking down the corridor of the Crescent Wing offices at the Sainsbury Centre, whilst Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) appears in a later scene.
Composing a storyline
Lee Heath, head of security at the Sainsbury Centre, played a crucial part in the filming – opening the hydraulic doors for the heroes.
A gallery assistant at the time, Mr Heath said: “It was only about the day before that they made it known [to other staff] it was the Avengers.
“They built screens around the place, but people soon got a message out that something strange was happening at the Sainsbury Centre, and we had to deny it.
“Closing the museum for three days was quite a challenge, to find a storyline as to why, which people would believe. But word gets out, and there must have been 700 people there on the filming days.
“One of the best moments [during filming] was where the hydraulic door opens in the film, I had to lay on the floor, hiding, as the actors approached, so it looked like it automatically opened.
“We saw quite a lot of the actors, but a lot of them had body doubles. Some of the actors actually flew in by helicopter just before they were due on their scene.
“They built the road you see in the film and the Modern Life Café had a completely new floor laid – you would not recognise it as a café. Where they parked the cars outside was completely re-laid.
“It was a once in a lifetime event.”
"A very exciting day"
Kat Downes, public events and engagement officer, looks after filming at UEA. She said: "The set had its own production village and make-up artists - I was in charge of the extra’s dressing rooms.
“The set was busy, there were cables running through the Sainsbury Centre, and outside it was almost like a festival atmosphere. My colleagues and I supported the location team and we were even invited on set for a tour, a smoothie and whilst the final scenes were filmed.
"Prior to filming, staff and students had auditioned for extras on a project called Afterparty – which was actually the film. People seen running back and forth outside Avengers HQ are our staff and students running across the top of the iconic Crescent Wing.
"As soon as one actor had done with their scene, their team would take them away. We couldn't believe how quickly they were getting through things. It was a very exciting day."
Norman Foster is world-famous for projects across the globe, including The Gherkin and London City Hall, but it was Norwich which claimed his fame first, with the Sainsbury Centre as his first revolutionary public building.
The Sainsbury Centre is currently showing a series of exhibitions exploring What is Truth?
Against the backdrop of fake news, elaborate scams and the burgeoning presence of Artificial Intelligence, the museum questions whether we are experiencing a time when increasingly sophisticated technology can distort reality and diminish our own sense of authenticity.
The programme consists of four interlinked exhibitions – In Event of Moon Disaster, Liquid Gender, Jeffrey Gibson: no simple word for time and The Camera Never Lies – bringing together some of the world’s leading artists and creative thinkers, plus a new, interlinking publication.
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