Feature: London's brightest square prepares to become even brighter

London's famous Piccadilly Circus has hosted brightly lit billboards almost as long as New York's iconic Times Square.

But the bright lights in the London square, a major gathering point for tourists, were switched off Monday to prepare for the installing of what will be one of the world's largest outdoor continuous LED screens.

Ocean Outdoor have switched off the lights as the work started on a major redevelopment of the iconic landmark and globally-recognized advertising space.

A new state-of-the-art screen will be unveiled in the fall of 2017, with a static advertising banner set to cover the space until then.

Spanning nearly 800 square meters, the screen will be the largest of its kind in Europe and will divide into six segments to preserve the billboard's famous mosaic appearance.

The big switch off Monday was marked by a montage of historic footage of the Piccadilly lights followed by a short countdown, before the six separate advertising screens were turned off.

Six advertisers will share the fully responsive and interactive new screen, taking advantage of its capacity for live video streaming, live updates such as weather and sports results and real time social media feeds.

Coca-Cola have used the electronic billboard since 1954, and Samsung have renewed their long-standing commitments, leaving four more brands the chance to secure a spot.

Ocean CEO Tim Bleakley said: "For the first time, the lights are witnessing their very own commercial ad break. We are totally committed to working with all the partners on this milestone project to maintain the iconic status of this prestigious landmark."

Around 100 million people a year pass through Piccadilly Circus every year, many of them tourists from around the world.

Ros Morgan, CEO of the Heart of London business alliance, said the new screen would bring visitors an enhanced entertainment experience. Endit