fabrication, custom joinery, library furniture, architectural wall treatments, acoustic panels and

Creating Custom Learning Environments for Three Abu Dhabi Schools


In August 2023, New Century Education selected Evolution Scenic to deliver customised scenic and functional elements across three schools in Abu Dhabi. The project extended beyond conventional decoration. It brought together large-scale scenic fabrication, custom joinery, library furniture, architectural wall treatments, acoustic panels and educational graphics. Each element needed to make the school interiors more visually engaging while still supporting the practical requirements of pupils, staff and visitors.


The most prominent component was a tree-form library bookshelf measuring six metres high and 3.5 metres in diameter. Finished using spray-painted scenic surfaces, the structure was designed to become a central feature within the library environment.


Around this focal point, Evolution Scenic installed circular seating with integrated cushions and additional long counters. Together, these elements formed a coordinated reading and interaction area rather than a collection of unrelated furniture. The wider scope included visitor-registration counters at the main entrances, slotted wall panels, custom-shaped acoustic treatments and extensive educational graphics.

Turning a Tree Form into Functional Library Fabrication


The tree bookshelf combined the visual scale of a scenic installation with the functional requirements of library storage. At six metres high, the feature occupied a substantial volume within the interior. Its 3.5-metre diameter created a broad canopy and strong visual presence, allowing it to become an organising feature within the library.


The structure incorporated shelving directly into the central tree form, allowing books to be stored and displayed while maintaining the sculptural character of the installation. A circular canopy with shaped leaf elements extended above a central trunk-like structure, while curved shelving was arranged around the core. Rather than placing a decorative tree alongside conventional bookcases, the storage function was integrated into the scenic form itself.


This relationship between appearance and use was central to the fabrication. The bookshelf needed to be visually distinctive enough to define the room while remaining practical as part of the school’s everyday library environment.


Evolution Scenic developed the feature as a large-scale piece of functional scenic fabrication, coordinating the sculptural tree form with the shelving geometry and overall proportions required within the interior. The result was a six-metre-high scenic centrepiece that combined custom fabrication, integrated book storage and a recognisable tree-inspired form within one functional library feature.

Coordinating the Tree, Seating and Library Counters


The tree bookshelf was supported by additional custom-made library elements that extended the same design language through the surrounding space. Circular seating with integrated cushions was constructed around the tree, creating an informal reading zone while making practical use of the area immediately surrounding the central feature.


The curved seating geometry responded directly to the form of the tree. Rather than introducing straight furniture around a circular scenic element, the seating followed the same radial arrangement and helped create a more cohesive relationship between the central structure and the wider library interior. Long counters were also positioned near the tree bookshelves, providing additional working and display surfaces within the library areas.


Together, the tree, integrated shelving, circular seating and adjacent counters created a layered interior environment in which the principal scenic feature was supported by functional elements designed around its scale and geometry.


This coordinated approach allowed the central installation to operate as more than a standalone decorative feature. The surrounding seating and counters helped integrate the tree bookshelf into the everyday function and spatial organisation of the library.

Custom Counters for Visitor Registration


Evolution Scenic also fabricated and installed custom counters at the main entrances of the schools, extending the project scope beyond the library areas and into the arrival environments.


Designed for visitor registration, the counters served a clear operational purpose within each entrance. They provided a dedicated point for receiving visitors while remaining visually integrated with the surrounding interior rather than appearing as standalone furniture.


Because of their position at the main entrances, the counters also contributed to the first impression of the school environment. Their scale, placement and overall form needed to work comfortably within the available space while supporting everyday staff and visitor use.


The counters demonstrated a different aspect of Evolution Scenic’s fabrication capability. Alongside the larger sculptural tree bookshelves and curved seating features, the team also delivered more conventional functional joinery with the same attention to proportion, usability and spatial coordination.


Across the three schools, the visitor registration counters formed part of a wider package of custom-made interior elements. Together with the tree bookshelves, integrated seating and library counters, they helped create a coordinated environment combining sculptural scenic fabrication with practical everyday functions.

Adding Architectural Detail with Slotted Wall Panels


Slotted wall panels were delivered and installed across selected classrooms and circulation areas, introducing a more structured architectural finish to the school interiors.


The repeated linear slot pattern added depth, texture and visual rhythm to otherwise flat wall surfaces. The panels were integrated with geometric wall sections and continued around corners, openings and adjoining finishes to create a more coordinated treatment.


Accurate setting out was important to the installation. The vertical lines needed to remain consistent across adjoining sections, while panel edges had to align neatly with door frames, skirtings, ceilings and surrounding architectural features.


The wall treatment required careful coordination between fabrication and installation so that the repeated pattern remained visually consistent once positioned on site. Clean junctions and accurate alignment were particularly important where the panels met changes in wall direction or other interior finishes.


The completed slotted wall panels demonstrated how custom scenic fabrication could be applied directly to architectural surfaces. Rather than functioning as freestanding scenic elements, they became integrated interior features that added depth, structure and detail to the classroom and circulation environments.

Integrating Acoustic Treatments into Science Rooms


Evolution Scenic produced and installed custom-shaped acoustic panels for the science room walls, combining practical sound control with a more considered visual treatment.


The panels varied in both colour and size, allowing the acoustic elements to become part of the room design rather than appearing as a standard repetitive wall system. Different shapes could be arranged across the wall surfaces to create a more composed and visually engaging finish.


By integrating the acoustic treatment into the overall interior language, the panels performed both a functional and decorative role. Their customised geometry helped break up large wall areas while contributing additional colour, depth and visual structure to the science rooms.


Accurate positioning was important to maintain consistent spacing between the different panel shapes and ensure the overall composition remained balanced across each wall. The installation therefore required coordination between the individual panel sizes, their arrangement and the surrounding architectural features.


The completed treatment demonstrated how functional interior requirements could be incorporated into the wider fabrication package. Rather than treating acoustic control as a separate technical addition, Evolution Scenic developed the panels as visible design elements that contributed directly to the character of the science room interiors.

Transforming Walls into Educational Graphics


Evolution Scenic designed and installed extensive graphic wall treatments across corridors, classrooms and shared school areas, combining school branding with educational content. The illustrated subjects included mathematics, measurement, space, transportation, marine life, personal values, language, sports, the five senses, plant growth and prehistoric life.


Many of the graphics incorporated both Arabic and English content, bringing together illustrations, diagrams, labels and headings across complete wall elevations. Rather than functioning as individual signs, the treatments transformed large sections of wall into integrated educational displays.


The scale of the graphic compositions required careful coordination during installation. Long visual sequences had to remain aligned while working around doors, electrical devices, air-conditioning controls and other fixed architectural elements. Geometric branding was also applied across entrance atriums and upper-level wall surfaces to create a consistent visual language throughout the schools.


The graphic scope extended to the exterior through a large illustrated mural incorporating themes related to heritage, education, technology and Arabic calligraphy. Together, the interior graphics, branded surfaces and exterior mural formed a coordinated visual layer that complemented the wider fabrication and interior works delivered by Evolution Scenic.

Managing Finishes for a Child-Friendly Environment


The school environment placed particular importance on the preparation and finishing of fabricated elements. Evolution Scenic prioritised child-friendly finishes across the delivered components, ensuring that the completed work was suitable for spaces used regularly by young students.


Painted components were fully cured before delivery, while treated items were ventilated to reduce the presence of residual fumes before entering the school interiors. This made finishing an important part of the wider production process rather than simply a final visual treatment.


The requirement influenced the relationship between workshop fabrication, finishing and installation. Sufficient time needed to be allowed for coatings and treated surfaces to cure and ventilate properly before the completed components were transported and installed on site.


This approach reflected the different requirements of fabrication intended for an occupied educational environment. Alongside appearance and durability, the finishing process needed to consider the suitability of the completed elements for everyday use within classrooms, libraries and other student areas.

Installing the Fit-Out Across Three Schools


Evolution Scenic delivered the fit-out across three separate schools in Abu Dhabi, coordinating fabrication, transport and installation across a range of interior environments.


Each school presented different room dimensions, architectural interfaces and site conditions. The tree bookshelves, counters, seating, wall panels and graphic treatments therefore had to be installed according to their intended locations and coordinated with the surrounding architecture.


The large tree bookshelf represented the most substantial interior installation. At six metres high and 3.5 metres in diameter, its scale required careful coordination of access, assembly and working height, while the wider installation also included slotted wall panels, acoustic treatments, reception counters and educational graphics.


Delivering the complete scope across three schools required close coordination between workshop production, finishing, transport and site installation. The completed fit-out brought together large-scale scenic features, functional joinery and integrated wall treatments within one coordinated delivery package.

Delivering a Complete Educational Interior Package


The completed NCE school environments brought together large-scale scenic features, functional joinery, architectural treatments and educational graphics as one coordinated interior package across three schools.


The tree-form bookshelf created a strong focal point within the libraries, combining the scale of an architectural installation with integrated book storage. Circular cushioned seating supported the surrounding reading areas, while long library counters and entrance registration counters introduced additional functional elements for everyday use.


Slotted wall panels added texture and architectural detail across selected areas, while custom-shaped acoustic panels introduced both sound control and colour within the science rooms. Educational graphics extended the treatment across corridors and classrooms, transforming complete wall elevations into large-format learning surfaces.


Together, these elements demonstrated Evolution Scenic’s ability to combine scenic fabrication, custom manufacturing, functional joinery, graphic production and site installation within an educational environment. The full scope was completed across all three schools ahead of schedule, with painted and treated finishes fully cured and ventilated before delivery for use within spaces occupied by young students.