Evolution Scenic PLAN Capital stage with skyline feature and integrated screen surrounds in Abu Dhabi.

Fabricating the PLAN Capital Scenic Environment in Abu Dhabi


In 2019, the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities held the PLAN Capital Plenary Session and Workshop in Abu Dhabi. The project occupied several venue areas, including a main presentation ballroom, an Innovation Hub and a secondary ballroom divided into 14 customised workshop environments.


Evolution Scenic was commissioned to provide scenic and technical solutions across these spaces. Rather than delivering a single backdrop or stage feature, the company produced an extensive temporary fit-out combining stage construction, architectural scenery, modular partitions, workshop furniture, branded graphics and technical interfaces.


Evolution Scenic also developed selected parts of the scenic environment, translating the required visual language into practical components suitable for workshop manufacture and a compressed installation programme.

PLAN Capital main stage with dimensional backdrop, skyline scenery and venue screen integration.

Building the Main Presentation Environment & Innovation Hub


The main ballroom was organised around a custom stage installation. Evolution Scenic fabricated the stage deck and access steps together with scenic backdrop walls, LED screen surrounds, lecterns and an architectural skyline feature. The stage needed to provide a clear presentation platform while also establishing the principal architectural identity of the project.


The venue supplied the screens, so Evolution Scenic’s responsibility centred on the fabricated scenery surrounding them. The screen surrounds had to align accurately with the existing technical equipment while preserving the dimensional composition of the backdrop.


The skyline feature introduced a recognisable urban reference above the larger scenic surfaces. Rather than relying entirely on printed branding, this element used physical shape and profile to reinforce the planning and city-development theme through scenic construction. PU-painted surfaces, printed panels and vinyl graphics completed the visual treatment. The result combined large-format branded areas with dimensional scenery and functional stage infrastructure.


The Innovation Hub formed a separate functional environment within the wider venue installation. Evolution Scenic fabricated the scenic structures required to define the area, together with counters, plinths and signage. These components gave the Hub a distinct physical boundary and supported its use as a collaborative working space. The area needed to remain visually connected to the main presentation environment without simply repeating the stage construction. This required a controlled use of materials, graphics and architectural forms across components with different operational purposes.


Counters and plinths provided usable horizontal surfaces while also acting as branded scenic elements. Signage helped identify the environment, and the surrounding scenic construction established a more focused zone within the ballroom.


Custom graphic walls dividing the ballroom into fourteen individual workshop environments.

Constructing Fourteen Workshop Environments


A secondary ballroom was converted into 14 customised workshop setups. Evolution Scenic constructed modular partitions to organise the open ballroom into individual working areas. Graphic walls then gave each workshop a defined visual identity, while tables, writable surfaces, monitor units and counters provided the functional infrastructure required within each zone. The quantity of workshop spaces made efficient scenic manufacturing essential. Repeated partition and furniture principles could be used across the complete package, but each workshop still required an appropriate arrangement of walls, graphics, writing areas, displays and work surfaces. The modular approach supported this balance. Components could be manufactured using consistent construction methods while being assembled into different configurations according to the individual workshop requirements.


This also supported the installation programme. Larger partition elements could be positioned first to establish circulation routes and workshop boundaries. Graphic panels, furniture, monitor units and smaller scenic components could then be installed within the completed zones. The project included several interfaces between fabricated scenery and technical equipment.


In the main ballroom, scenic screen surrounds were constructed around venue-supplied displays. Within the workshop areas, monitor units had to be incorporated into the individual layouts.

These interfaces required accurate dimensional coordination. Scenic panels needed to frame the visible equipment cleanly without obstructing ventilation, cabling or technical access.


Evolution Scenic temporary ballroom fit-out combining stage scenery and modular workshop construction.

Delivering with Mixed Scenic Materials


The confirmed construction palette included MDF, plywood, timber framing, metal framing, acrylic, fabric, printed panels and vinyl graphics. This mixed-material approach allowed the scenic package to address structural support, shaped detailing, branded surfaces and functional furniture within a single production workflow.


Timber-based construction provided an adaptable method for producing decks, steps, walls, counters and shaped fascia components. Metal framing supported elements requiring increased rigidity or freestanding stability. Acrylic, fabric and graphic finishes added cleaner decorative layers and project-specific visual information.


PU paint provided a consistent finished surface across selected scenery. Printed panels and applied vinyl then introduced the detailed branding and graphic content required for the stage, Innovation Hub and workshop areas.


The source information does not contain a component-by-component material schedule. It would therefore be inaccurate to assign a specific substrate, frame type or finish to every individual element without the original fabrication drawings. Evolution Scenic installed the scenic package over approximately two to three days.


The programme required several installation teams or workstreams to progress through the venue in a controlled sequence. The stage deck and primary scenic walls established the main presentation environment, while the workshop ballroom required the positioning of multiple partitions and furniture components.


Accurate pre-production was important because extensive adjustment or refinishing within the venue would have placed pressure on the installation period. Workshop fabrication allowed much of the assembly, finishing and graphic preparation to be completed before delivery. Once the principal structures were positioned, the detailed elements—including lecterns, counters, plinths, writable surfaces, monitor units and signage—could be installed and aligned. The complete fit-out transformed the available ballroom spaces into one main scenic environment and 14 functional workshop areas within the required timeframe. The PLAN Capital project demonstrates how scenic fabrication can be used to organise a temporary venue at several different spatial scales.


At the largest scale, the stage backdrop and skyline feature established an architectural focal point. At the intermediate scale, scenic walls and partitions divided the venue into distinct environments. At the detailed scale, counters, lecterns, tables, plinths, writable surfaces and monitor units supported the practical operation of each area.


Delivering these elements as one coordinated package reduced visual inconsistencies between the different spaces. Materials, graphic applications and construction details could be managed through one scenic production process, while installation sequencing could be planned across the complete venue fit-out. The resulting environment combined stage scenery, temporary architecture and functional workshop construction within a tightly managed two-to-three-day delivery programme.