Scenic Fabrication For Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal, Dubai
Delivering A Multi-Discipinary Scenic Environment For Atlantis The Royal
The Grand Reveal of Atlantis The Royal took place on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai from 20 to 22 January 2023. Evolution Scenic was commissioned through the event producer to fabricate and install the scenic elements used across the outdoor project environment.
The scope ranged from large sculptural centrepieces to practical registration and wayfinding structures. It included a 2.5-metre 818 Tequila bottle, an architectural-scale metal leaf, registration counters and pylons, illuminated wayfinding elements, branded fabric flags, display plinths, acrylic signage, printed graphics, drapery and other textile components.
These elements were very different from one another in both material and manufacturing method. The bottle required large-scale sculpting, fibreglass production, scenic painting and graphic application. The leaf depended on fabricated metalwork and project-specific engineering. Registration structures brought together rigid scenic construction, acrylic details and printed graphics, while flags and drapery required an entirely different textile-based workflow.
The challenge was not simply to make each element successfully. They had to be produced within one coordinated programme, transported through restricted outdoor access routes and installed as parts of the same temporary environment.
One Project, Several Fabrication Disciplined
Multi-disciplinary scenic projects can appear relatively straightforward once they are installed. A visitor may see a sculptural bottle, a branded counter or an illuminated sign as an individual object, without considering how differently each one was manufactured.
Inside the workshop, however, those objects may pass through separate departments, use different drawing information and follow completely different production sequences. A metal structure can be cut, welded and assembled relatively early, while graphics may depend on final dimensions and approved artwork. Fibreglass work requires moulding, curing and surface preparation. Acrylic elements need accurate digital cutting and careful handling to protect their finished edges.
One of the questions we often ask is which information each department genuinely needs before it can begin. Waiting for every detail to be finalised can place unnecessary pressure on the programme, but releasing work too early creates a risk of remanufacture. The bottle’s underlying form, for example, needed to be resolved before fibreglass and paintwork could proceed, while the final label graphics depended on the completed proportions and surface geometry.
The same principle applied across the registration counters, pylons and display plinths. Their structural dimensions affected acrylic panels, printed graphics and decorative details. A small alteration to an opening or panel edge could affect several later production stages, even when the change appeared minor on a drawing.
This is why coordination matters as much as the individual workshop skills. Metalwork, sculpting, CNC production, laser cutting, painting, graphics and textiles all had to move through one delivery programme without becoming disconnected work packages.
Enlarging The 818 TEQUILA Bottle
One of the principal fabricated elements was a freestanding 818 Tequila bottle measuring approximately 2.5 metres high. The task was to reproduce a familiar product form at a scale where small inaccuracies would become immediately visible.
Scaling an object is rarely as simple as multiplying every dimension by the same amount. A bottle that looks controlled and balanced in the hand can appear heavy, narrow or distorted when enlarged several times. The relationship between its neck, shoulders, body and base becomes more pronounced, and transitions that are barely noticed on the original object begin to define the entire sculpture.
The principal form or mould was produced in styrofoam. This allowed the profile to be shaped and refined before the fibreglass construction was completed. Fibreglass then provided a durable outer surface suitable for scenic painting and graphic treatment.
The quality of the final sculpture depended heavily on the relationship between shaping and finishing. Paint and graphics can reproduce colour, label information and branding, but they cannot disguise a poorly resolved physical profile. If the shoulders are uneven or the transition into the neck feels abrupt, the sculpture will still look wrong once the graphics are applied.
In practice, large branded props often need to be judged from greater distances than the original product. Fine details become less important, while silhouette and proportion become more significant. The bottle needed to read clearly as the intended object before the viewer was close enough to study the label.
The surface also had to be prepared carefully for the painted and printed finishes. Fibreglass can provide a robust shell, but the final quality depends on filling, sanding and controlling the transitions between separate fabrication stages. Large smooth surfaces are particularly unforgiving because dents, ripples and changes in sheen remain visible under direct light.
Once the physical form was complete, scenic painting established the bottle’s primary appearance and applied graphics recreated the necessary branded detail. The finished sculpture became a recognisable outdoor focal point while retaining the dimensional qualities of the original product.
Engineering The Metal Leaf
The large metal leaf was the principal engineered scenic structure within the scope. Its branching outline created an architectural-scale sculptural feature positioned within the outdoor landscaping of Atlantis The Royal.
Unlike the bottle, which relied on a largely continuous sculpted surface, the leaf used an open metal geometry. The visual form and supporting structure were therefore closely connected. The fabricated members were not simply concealed behind cladding; they contributed directly to the appearance of the finished piece.
Open sculptural metalwork creates a particular design challenge. The structure needs enough material to remain stable and retain its geometry, but excessive framing can make the finished element feel heavy or overly industrial. The support system and visual outline therefore need to be developed together.
The outdoor location also influenced the technical requirements. A freestanding metal feature must be considered in relation to its weight, stability, base condition and exposure. On a project like this, the engineering cannot be treated as a separate calculation completed after the appearance has already been fixed. The shape of the branches, their connections and the way the structure meets its base all influence both the final form and its structural behaviour.
The project information confirms that the leaf required specific engineering and HSSE consideration. It was also subject to a late adjustment during production.
Late changes to fabricated metalwork can have consequences beyond the visible revision. A change to the outline may affect the lengths and angles of existing members, the position of welded joints or the way the structure divides for transport. Finished components may require alteration and repainting, while any revised geometry needs to remain compatible with the base and installation sequence.
The impact depends largely on when the change is introduced. A drawing revision made before material is cut can often be absorbed comparatively easily. The same revision made after welding and finishing may involve dismantling completed work or reproducing sections that no longer correspond with the updated design.
Evolution Scenic incorporated the adjustment while continuing to manufacture the bottle, counters, signage, graphics, textiles and other scenic elements within the same programme. The value of a multi-disciplinary workshop becomes particularly clear in these circumstances because the affected work can be reviewed alongside the surrounding packages rather than treated as an isolated external problem.
Acrylics, Graphics, Textiles & Finishes
The authority of the completed environment did not depend only on the two largest sculptural features. Registration counters, pylons, wayfinding, display plinths, flags and textile elements all contributed to the consistency of the wider installation.
Registration structures are a good example of scenery that has to be both practical and carefully finished. Counters are used directly by operational teams, so dimensions, working surfaces and storage requirements matter. At the same time, they are prominent arrival elements and need controlled panel joints, clean graphic application and accurately positioned branding.
Acrylic panels and details were used across these structures, supported by CNC and laser-cutting processes. CNC production allowed shaped components and panel profiles to be manufactured from digital information, while laser cutting provided the precision required for acrylic lettering and smaller decorative pieces.
Acrylic can create crisp, premium-looking details, but it is less forgiving than many painted scenic materials. Incorrect holes, damaged edges or poor alignment cannot always be disguised during finishing. The underlying structure therefore needs to be manufactured accurately, and the acrylic components must remain protected through handling, transport and installation.
Vinyl graphics provided lettering, colour and branded surface treatments across prepared scenic elements. Their success depended on the quality of the substrate beneath them. A graphic applied to a flat, stable and correctly finished panel will read very differently from the same artwork installed over uneven joints or poorly prepared surfaces.
The project also included branded fabric flags, drapery and other textile elements. These materials brought movement and softness into an environment containing rigid metalwork, acrylics and fibreglass. Their production required a different understanding of scale because fabric behaves according to tension, weight and air movement rather than holding the fixed geometry of a solid panel.
For a multi-material environment to feel resolved, colour and finish must remain coordinated despite the differences between substrates. Painted fibreglass, powder-coated or painted metal, acrylic, printed vinyl and fabric all reflect light differently. Even when they share the same intended colour, they may appear different because of their surface texture and sheen.
This does not mean every material needs to look identical. In reality, forcing several substrates to imitate one another can make an environment feel flat. The more useful objective is visual consistency: each finish should relate clearly to the others while retaining the qualities of its own material.
Display plinths presented another kind of fabrication challenge. Their geometry was comparatively simple, but that simplicity placed greater emphasis on accuracy. A complex scenic texture can disguise minor variation; a clean rectangular plinth cannot. Corners, joints and surface finishes must therefore be carefully controlled because there is nowhere for fabrication errors to hide.
Installing Within A Restricted Outdoor Environment
The scenic package was installed throughout the outdoor areas of Atlantis The Royal, where access was restricted. This influenced how the structures could be transported, handled and positioned.
Restricted access does not only affect the largest items. It also shapes the order in which the complete package is installed. A large bottle or metal structure may need to move through an access route before registration counters, signs or textile elements are placed around it. Once smaller and more vulnerable components have been installed, moving heavy scenery through the same area becomes more difficult.
Large finished pieces require particular protection. The bottle’s painted fibreglass surface and applied graphics could be damaged through impact or abrasion, while the metal leaf needed to be manoeuvred without distorting its fabricated geometry or damaging its finish.
A practical installation sequence generally places the heaviest and most structurally demanding components first. Registration structures and display plinths can then be positioned, followed by exposed acrylic details, graphics and textiles. This reduces the likelihood of completed finishes being damaged by later lifting and handling.
Illuminated wayfinding elements introduced further coordination. Their physical placement needed to correspond with the circulation routes they were intended to define, while electrical connections had to remain accessible and protected within the outdoor setting.
The installation brought together elements manufactured through several different processes, each with its own tolerances and handling requirements. The bottle needed to stand correctly and present its graphics from the intended viewpoints. The metal leaf required accurate positioning as a freestanding structure. Counters and pylons needed to align with the surrounding layout, and textiles required final adjustment once installed.
This is often the point where a project’s production coordination becomes visible. When dimensions, graphics and fixing details have been managed properly in the workshop, the elements arrive on site ready to form one environment. When those interfaces have not been resolved, the installation team is left trying to adapt completed work under restricted conditions.
A Complete Scenic Package
The Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal brought together large prop making, metal fabrication, CNC production, laser cutting, fibreglass, scenic painting, graphics, acrylics, drapery, textiles and installation.
The 2.5-metre 818 Tequila bottle demonstrated the process of turning a familiar product into a full-scale sculptural object. The metal leaf showed how an expressive visual form could be developed as an engineered outdoor structure. Registration counters, pylons, illuminated wayfinding, flags and display plinths extended the project beyond two centrepieces and created a coordinated family of practical scenic elements across the site.
The project also illustrated the value of managing different workshop disciplines through one connected production programme. Each material required its own manufacturing method, but the finished environment could only succeed if the individual components related to the same dimensions, graphics, finishes and installation plan.
Evolution Scenic carried that work through fabrication and restricted-access installation, including the late adjustment to the engineered leaf. The result was not dependent on a single construction technique or one dominant scenic feature. Its strength came from selecting an appropriate process for each element and coordinating those processes until the individual pieces read as one environment.
That is often what multi-disciplinary scenic fabrication looks like in practice. The finished installation may appear visually effortless, but behind it sits a sequence of decisions about form, material, accuracy, timing, protection and site access. When those decisions are made well, the visitor sees the objects rather than the work required to make them.
