During the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the UAE National Olympic Committee welcomed visitors into an immersive experience of UAE culture and heritage.
Located in the 10 metre-high atrium of Pavillon Cambon Capucines in Paris, Stage One was commissioned to manufacture and install six themed rooms, VIP section and entrance hall for the UAE House exhibition.
We first laid a sub-floor of timber pallets skimmed with fire rated chipboard. Boundary walls were formed with timber scenic flats, wrapped in a white fire-rated cotton fabric. Additional interior walls and ceiling panels were constructed using walnut-stained timber, their slats interlaced with white scenic paper.
In the welcoming area, Al Majlis, dioramas depict UAE emblems from the dhow (a traditional sailing boat) to the animal kingdom. Some adorned the floor, others were suspended from the ceiling by a system of Unistrut, Zebedee nuts, threaded eyebolts and wire, their height and positioning adjustable.
Al Liwan, The Place of Connection, features timber flooring interspersed with white topography, MDF layers raised with separator dowels. Large-scale screens showcased a selection of UAE athletes, the screens housed in walnut stained 1” x 1” timber and suspended above ground by a steel frame.
The walls incorporated dioramas, multiple polycarbonate panels, each printed with its own graphic, that when layered and lit from behind collectively portrayed an image or told a story.
In Al Hiwy, The Place of Play, interactive versions of century-old UAE games were projected through the ceiling raft and onto the vinyl floor below. The tiered bleachers opposite were softly illuminated from a shadow gap between each level with more dioramas above.
Leaving the exhibition visitors experienced the Dukkan, the shop, for which we manufactured several pieces of corresponding walnut-stained timber furniture.
The location imposed several spatial constraints, including limited accessibility when unloading into the venue and multiple contractors working in the same space. The exhibition presented visitors with the opportunity to experience the life, culture and heritage of a contending nation of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024.
