Scenic Fabrication for the Slovenia Pavilion Exhibition Fitout at Expo City Dubai

Building a Complete Exhibition Interior for the Slovenia Pavilion

In 2023, Evolution Scenic developed and delivered a complete exhibition fitout for the Slovenia Pavilion at Expo City Dubai. The project transformed the existing interior into a sequence of interpretive and gallery environments designed to accommodate wall graphics, cultural objects, framed artworks and three-dimensional displays.

Rather than relying on a single repeated display system, the fitout combined several forms of scenic and interior construction. Curved black walls carried the principal timeline and interpretive content. White gallery partitions created a contrasting setting for artworks and textile displays. Black plinths and glazed cases provided protected presentation areas for objects and artefacts.

Custom ceiling elements, lighting, flooring, skirting and planting connected these components into one coherent environment. Evolution Scenic developed the exhibition design and delivered the principal scenic construction within a confirmed 20-day programme.

The finished installation was intended to remain inside the Slovenia Pavilion for an extended period. This required a balance between workshop-efficient scenic fabrication and the durability, alignment and finish quality associated with a longer-term exhibition interior.

Developing the Exhibition Layout

The interior was organised through a deliberate contrast between dark interpretive spaces and white gallery environments. The curved black timeline walls created broad surfaces for photographic material, text and historical content. Their geometry guided movement through the exhibition while avoiding the visual rigidity of a conventional sequence of straight display panels.

The black walls also provided a controlled background for the exhibited objects. Dark plinths and display bases continued the wall language across the floor, creating visual continuity between the interpretive graphics and the three-dimensional displays. The white gallery areas used a different spatial character. Workshop-built partitions formed restrained, neutral surfaces for framed artworks, masks, textile pieces and other wall-mounted exhibits. The pale gallery walls allowed the material, colour and form of the displayed works to remain visually prominent.

The transition between the two zones was resolved through curved entrance and feature-wall elements, consistent flooring and coordinated ceiling treatment. Decorative planting was integrated at selected points within the layout, introducing softer natural forms between the constructed gallery surfaces.

Fabricating the Curved Timeline Walls

The curved black walls were produced as timber-framed scenic structures clad in MDF. The timber framework established the required radius and provided support for the finished wall faces. MDF was then applied to create a smooth and continuous surface capable of receiving paint, printed wallpaper and vinyl graphic material.

Curved walls introduce a different set of fabrication considerations from conventional flat partitions. The framework must maintain a consistent radius across its full length. Sheet materials need to follow that geometry without creating visible faceting, abrupt joints or changes in surface level.

The completed faces also need to remain suitable for graphic application. Any variation in curvature, joint alignment or surface preparation can become visible once large-format printed imagery and horizontal text lines are installed. Evolution Scenic’s construction therefore needed to provide both the physical geometry of the wall and the accurate finishing surface required by the outsourced graphics supplier. The black finish unified the wall assemblies and allowed the graphics, objects and display lighting to stand forward visually.

Producing Modular Gallery Partitions

The white exhibition walls and partitions were fabricated as modular workshop-built sections. Workshop fabrication allowed the wall components to be assembled, checked and finished before delivery to Expo City Dubai. It also reduced the amount of direct construction required inside the completed pavilion. Each partition needed to perform several functions.

The walls defined the gallery layout, supported framed works and created the finished background visible around every exhibit. They also needed to coordinate with skirting, flooring, ceiling elements, lighting positions and adjoining wall sections. Plywood and timber framing provided internal support where required, while MDF and painted surfaces formed the visible faces. Gypsum wall construction was also incorporated within the wider interior package.

Once installed, the modular sections were aligned and joined so that they read as continuous architectural walls rather than temporary panels. Joint treatment, edge alignment and consistent paintwork were particularly important in the white gallery areas because shadows and surface variations are more visible against light finishes. The result was a clean exhibition setting capable of supporting different artwork formats without visually competing with the displayed material.

Manufacturing Display Plinths and Case Bases

Three-dimensional objects were presented using custom black plinths and glazed display cases. Evolution Scenic fabricated the plinths and display bases. The glazed cases themselves were supplied by another contractor. This division of responsibility required accurate coordination between separate packages. The scenic bases needed to match the dimensions and support requirements of the glass enclosures. Their finished surfaces also needed to align cleanly with the case edges so that the separate components appeared as one complete display unit.

MDF, plywood, timber framing and selected metal components provided the body and internal support of the plinths. Black laminate and painted finishes created a consistent external appearance across the exhibition. The dark bases visually grounded the displays while allowing the glass cases and illuminated objects to remain the main focus.

The fitout also included wall-mounted artefact shelves and supports for framed artworks. These elements required suitable internal backing and accurate setting-out so that the final exhibits could be positioned consistently across the modular walls. Acrylic and glass were incorporated where required within the wider display package, although the available information does not identify the exact application of every transparent component.

Integrating Graphics Without Claiming Their Manufacture

Printed wallpaper, timeline imagery, interpretive text and vinyl graphics formed a major part of the exhibition’s visible surface treatment. The graphic production and installation package was carried out by an outsourced specialist supplier rather than Evolution Scenic. Evolution Scenic’s role was to create the physical scenic surfaces and spatial framework into which those graphics were incorporated.

This distinction is important because exhibition graphics depend heavily on the quality of the underlying construction. Large printed panels and wallpapers require walls that are smooth, accurately aligned and free from abrupt surface changes. Curved graphics require especially careful dimensional control because text, image grids and horizontal lines can reveal inconsistencies in the wall radius.

By producing stable timber-framed and MDF-clad walls, Evolution Scenic established the physical base required for the final graphic installation. The completed environment therefore depended on coordination between scenic fabrication and specialist graphic production without incorrectly attributing the outsourced graphics to Evolution Scenic.

Constructing the Ceiling and Lighting Environment

The exhibition fitout extended above the wall and display systems through custom suspended and perimeter ceiling structures. These elements helped define the exhibition spatially and provided a coordinated framework for the lighting. Evolution Scenic supplied the ceiling lighting. Fixture positions were developed in relation to the timeline walls, gallery partitions, display cases and circulation areas.

Lighting needed to perform more than a general illumination function. The black interpretive zones required focused light on objects, cases and graphic content. The white gallery areas required even presentation of framed works without allowing the surrounding architecture to become visually dominant. The ceiling treatment helped connect these requirements by creating a consistent overhead structure across the different exhibition areas.

The project also included battery-operated display lights supported by a 48-hour backup system. This allowed exhibit lighting to remain operational while limiting the need for visually intrusive power connections around the glazed cases. The integration of lighting into the scenic and ceiling construction helped the finished exhibition read as one designed environment rather than a collection of independently lit objects.

Delivering the Fitout Within Twenty Days

The confirmed project programme was 20 days. The supplied information does not identify how the period was divided between workshop fabrication and site installation. It should therefore be described as the overall project programme rather than separate confirmed fabrication and installation durations.

Workshop production allowed the modular wall sections, curved structures, plinths, bases, shelves, artwork supports and ceiling elements to be prepared before delivery. On site, installation needed to follow a coordinated sequence. The principal walls established the spatial layout. The modular gallery sections were aligned and joined. Display bases were positioned to receive the glazed cases. Ceiling structures and lighting were installed in relation to the final exhibit locations.

The outsourced graphics package was then incorporated onto the completed scenic wall surfaces.

Flooring, skirting, wall-mounted elements and decorative planting resolved the remaining junctions and completed the visual environment. The modular methodology reduced dependence on extensive direct construction inside the pavilion while still allowing the finished fitout to read as a continuous interior.

Creating an Extended-Duration Scenic Installation

The exhibition was intended to remain inside the Slovenia Pavilion for an extended period. This separated the project from short-duration event scenery, where components may only need to perform across a limited installation and operating window.

The Slovenia Pavilion fitout required the speed and adaptability of scenic fabrication while maintaining a consistent finished appearance over a longer display period. Wall sections needed to remain aligned. Plinth finishes needed to withstand continued use and cleaning. Artwork supports and shelving needed to remain stable. Lighting had to function as an integrated part of the exhibition rather than as a temporary technical overlay.

The project therefore occupied a useful space between scenic fabrication, exhibition construction and interior fitout. Evolution Scenic’s workshop capabilities allowed the complex components to be manufactured efficiently, while the installation process converted those modular elements into a refined and cohesive gallery environment.

Completing the Slovenia Pavilion Exhibition

The finished interior brought together several distinct fabrication disciplines. Timber-framed curved walls established the interpretive route. Modular white partitions created the gallery areas. Gypsum construction helped complete the architectural envelope.

Black display plinths and bases supported the exhibit cases, while shelves and framed artwork supports accommodated wall-mounted material. Custom ceiling structures, integrated lighting, flooring, skirting and planting connected the separate elements into a complete environment.

The outcome demonstrates how scenic fabrication can be used beyond temporary event production. Through modular construction, controlled workshop manufacture and accurate supplier coordination, Evolution Scenic delivered an exhibition interior capable of remaining in place for an extended period while retaining the precision and visual clarity required from a cultural display environment.