2011 Excellence Awards Live for Broadcast Nominee
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The design criteria was to design and execute the opening ceremonies of the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona on July 26. The selected space is the main avenue that leads up to the mountain where the Olympic installations are situated.
Challenges And Solutions
First was the length of the avenue that is well over 1,000’ long, with a capacity of over 35,000 people, then to find a focal point of the event (stage), and finally linking the theme with a spectacular ending.
The solution was as follows:
On one side of the avenue:
On the opposite side of the avenue:
This interaction between both sides of the avenue slowly crept up in the direction of the Magic Fountain. At this point in time, the show went live for broadcast to all of Europe and sports channels all over the world. Since the action started 20 minutes before, when we went live, the public response was totally enthusiastic.
To get the athletes to “come out” of the fountain, a 365’-long scaffolding walkway ring was constructed along the upper (115’-diameter) level of the fountain; this was linked to two 90’ ramps behind which would be hidden from public view. Using the lower water jets in front of the scaffolding at just the right height, and constructed right against the water cascading down from the upper fountain, the structure became “invisible.”
For the 40 aerial artists directly above the fountain:
Set designer Adrian Smith came up with a front stage area that not only blended in with the fountain, but also linked to the lower level cascade. It was an excellent design of interconnecting platforms, leaving untouched the stone planter sculptures of the lower level cascade, and he added in his own front fascia cascades to hide the scaffolding legs; it all seemed to float.
Creative Team
Dante Arrigo & Asociados, Production Manager/Technical Design
Hansel Cereza, Artistic Concept
Claudi Feliu/IMAGINA, Executive Producer
Adrian Smith/Designstage, Set Design
Jordi Llorenc/Ondino Rigging, Rigging
Lluis Marti, Lighting Design/Programming
Arnau Qeija/Alfasom, Audio Design