Engineering the Nano Robot for Mansour Festival

The 2024 Mansour Festival at Zayed Sports Complex required a large-scale scenic interpretation of the Nano Robot character. Evolution Scenic was responsible for designing, fabricating and installing the freestanding structure in Abu Dhabi. The completed robot measured approximately 8 metres wide, 6.3 metres deep and 3 metres high. Its wide overall dimensions were created by four projecting wing structures arranged around a more compact central body. The complete structure had an approximate weight of 100–150 kilograms.

Although visually read as one object, the Nano Robot was not manufactured as one continuous component. Its construction was divided between a single central assembly and four separately fabricated wings. This division allowed the workshop team to preserve the scale of the final design while making the widest elements easier to transport and install.

The central structure incorporated the main robot body and all four support legs. This section was fabricated as one piece, measuring approximately 3 metres in diameter and 3 metres high. Keeping the central body and legs together maintained their dimensional relationship throughout production and installation. The four wing structures extended from this central form to create the complete 8-metre width.

Their projecting geometry gave the robot its distinctive silhouette, but also introduced practical constraints. Permanently fixing all four wings during workshop production would have created a component that was unnecessarily wide and difficult to transport. Evolution Scenic therefore treated the robot as a modular scenic system. The central section provided the principal freestanding structure, while the wings were developed as detachable assemblies.

Constructing the Central Steel Assembly

Mild-steel square tube formed the structural framework within the robot’s central body and legs. The steel structure established the main geometry, supported the shaped exterior and transferred the completed assembly onto four individual leg positions. Each leg incorporated a metal base plate at floor level. These plates provided defined contact points beneath the structure and supported the freestanding installation.

Steel flat bars were incorporated at the top of the leg structures. These created attachment points for the main fiberglass body and helped connect the visible sculptural form to the internal framework below. The combination of square-tube framing, upper flat-bar connections and lower base plates created a continuous supporting arrangement from the main body to the venue surface.

The visible bodywork was produced using shaped styrofoam with polyurea and fiberglass finishes. Styrofoam allowed the workshop team to develop the curved volume of the character around the internal metal structure. The material could be shaped into rounded transitions that would have been more difficult to achieve using flat sheet materials alone.

Polyurea and fiberglass finishes were applied to protect and strengthen the shaped scenic surfaces. The bodywork concealed the internal square-tube construction while retaining the smooth, simplified geometry required by the character design. The four legs followed the same overall fabrication language. Their visible surfaces enclosed the structural metalwork, while the circular metal base plates remained positioned beneath them.

Fabricating Four Modular Wing Assemblies & Acrylic Mirror Features

The Nano Robot incorporated four wing structures, each fabricated as an individual component. This was a deliberate transport and installation decision. Separating the wings reduced the dimensions of the principal body assembly and protected the projecting elements during handling. Each wing was constructed around a metal supporting arm. Shaped styrofoam and fiberglass scenic elements were fixed to the arm to create the circular outer profiles and internal blade-like forms visible in the completed installation.

The metal arm performed both a structural and logistical role. It supported the shaped wing components while also creating the connection through which each wing could be attached to the central body. The wings were completed using paint and applied vinyl graphics. Their black and yellow surfaces continued the visual language of the central robot body and defined the perimeter of the structure.

Acrylic elements formed the dark mirror-like panels within the robot body. These components were manufactured from 6mm acrylic sheet and completed with a vinyl-applied finish. The existing project record identifies sourcing and shaping the transparent acrylic components as one of the production challenges.

The acrylic needed to fit accurately within the surrounding shaped styrofoam while maintaining the intended visual relationship with the curved body surface. Metal strips were used to retain the acrylic panels within the styrofoam construction. This provided a physical fixing method rather than relying only on the applied finish or adhesive bond. The resulting detail combined three distinct materials: the structural metalwork behind the body, the shaped scenic surround and the finished acrylic feature panel.

Coordinating Scenic Finishes, Transportation & Installation

Paint and vinyl graphics were used across the central body and wing structures. The painted finish established the strong yellow and black colour treatment visible across the robot, while vinyl provided the branded lettering and additional surface graphics. The acrylic features also used applied vinyl to create their mirror-like visual finish. Coordinating these treatments required the visible surfaces to align across several material types, including fiberglass, acrylic and the wing components.

The finish therefore depended on more than colour matching. Graphic positions, panel boundaries, curved surfaces and component junctions all needed to work together once the four wings were installed around the central body.

The structure’s modular breakdown was established around transportation requirements. The central body and four legs were retained as one assembly. This reduced the number of major structural connections required at the venue and kept the main supporting geometry intact.

The four wings travelled as separate components.

Their metal supporting arms allowed the shaped scenic assemblies to remain complete while being handled independently from the robot body. This approach moved a substantial amount of detailed finishing into the workshop. The styrofoam shaping, fiberglass work, paint and vinyl graphics could be completed before the parts reached the venue. On site, the installation team could concentrate on positioning the central body, connecting the completed wing components and checking the relationship between all four assemblies.

A rubber mat platform was installed beneath the completed robot. This formed a protective layer between the scenic structure and the existing venue surface. The four metal base plates rested within the defined installation footprint created by the mat. The mat also visually separated the robot from the surrounding ground without introducing a raised scenic deck. Because the central body and legs formed one assembly, their position needed to be established before the four projecting wings were installed. The modular wings could then be attached around the body without requiring the full 8-metre-wide structure to be transported as one piece.

Delivering Within a One-Month Production Programme

Evolution Scenic completed the production within one month. The programme included structural metal fabrication, styrofoam shaping, polyurea and fiberglass finishing, acrylic preparation, paintwork, vinyl graphics and the manufacture of four separate wing assemblies. This work was delivered while the project was also affected by extended approval periods, resource constraints and other concurrent workshop commitments.

The completed components were transported to Zayed Sports Complex and assembled as an 8-metre-wide freestanding scenic structure. The finished Nano Robot demonstrates how a visually complex character can be resolved through a clear fabrication hierarchy: a rigid central steel structure, lightweight sculptural bodywork, separately manufactured projecting components and detailed acrylic and graphic finishes. Evolution Scenic’s delivery brought metalwork, three-dimensional scenic production, fiberglass construction, paintwork, graphics and installation together within one coordinated character build.

Creating a Culturally Detailed Scenic Environment for the Al Wathba Union Parade

The 2024 Union Parade at Al Wathba required a broad collection of temporary scenic environments and functional structures to be developed around the visual character of Emirati culture. Evolution Scenic was appointed by the event producer to provide design development, fabrication, installation, technical production and maintenance. The confirmed public-facing scope included tribal benches, custom lamp décor bases, branding walls and family tents. Evolution Scenic also completed the tent interiors, carrying the scenic language from the external environment into the internal hospitality spaces.

The original project record additionally identifies a wooden roundabout with a CNC log wall, entrance steps and ramps, technical speaker hiders, camera platforms, cable-trunk cladding, signage walls and fire-extinguisher stands. These elements performed different functions, but they needed to read as one coordinated scenic environment.

Developing the Cultural Scenic Language

The central design-development requirement was to translate the project’s cultural direction into buildable scenic elements. Tribal benches established a furniture-scale layer within the environment. Their construction needed to balance decorative form with repeated public use, movement and maintenance. Custom lamp décor bases created consistent scenic housings around practical lighting equipment. Rather than leaving the technical bass exposed, the decorative construction allowed them to form part of the wider cultural treatment.

Branding walls introduced larger vertical scenic surfaces. These walls supported visual identity, graphics and information while also defining spaces within the temporary environment. The family tents required a more complete architectural response. Evolution Scenic delivered both the tent environments and their interiors, ensuring that external presentation and internal finishes formed a connected visual experience. 

Extending Scenic Fabrication into Temporary Interiors

The family-tent interiors expanded the project beyond standalone external scenery. Interior scenic work requires closer attention to sightlines, junctions, repeated surfaces and the relationship between decorative elements and practical use. Walls, graphic panels, scenic details and technical interfaces are viewed at close range and therefore require controlled fabrication and finishing.

Evolution Scenic’s role covered the interior scenic treatment, but the available records do not identify individual furniture items, textiles, floor finishes or lighting fixtures supplied by the company. The confirmed construction materials were timber, plywood and MDF. Together, these materials provided a practical basis for framed walls, lining panels, routed decorative components and smooth surfaces for scenic finishing or graphic application. The tent interiors were therefore developed as part of the overall scenic scope rather than treated as unrelated temporary furnishing.

Coordinating Timber, Plywood and MDF Construction

The fabrication programme was centred on scenic carpentry. Timber provided framing and support for the fabricated structures. Plywood offered durable sheet construction for walls, platforms and shaped components. MDF allowed smooth decorative surfaces, routed profiles and CNC-produced detailing.

The exact build-up of each element is unavailable. It would be inaccurate to assign a particular thickness, timber grade or sheet product to individual assets without the fabrication records. Within Evolution Scenic’s normal methodology, material allocation is determined by several factors: whether an element carries load, whether it is handled repeatedly, whether it requires CNC machining, how it will be transported and what surface finish is needed. This approach allows different scenic elements to be produced through one coordinated workflow while retaining construction appropriate to their individual use.

Fabricating the Wooden Roundabout and CNC Log Wall

The wooden roundabout formed one of the project’s principal functional scenic features, combining a recognisable architectural form with practical movement and access requirements. Its construction incorporated a CNC-produced log wall, allowing the visible timber profiles to be manufactured with a high level of dimensional consistency. CNC production supported repeatable cutting across the individual components, helping the assembled wall maintain a controlled rhythm and uniform appearance. This method also allowed the scenic treatment to be developed as an integral part of the structure rather than applied as a separate decorative finish.

The roundabout needed to operate as more than a purely visual feature within the wider environment. Its position and form had to work with the surrounding circulation routes so that the scenic treatment did not interfere with movement through the space. This required coordination between the physical layout, fabricated timber elements and the practical access requirements of the installation. The completed feature therefore combined CNC scenic fabrication with functional spatial planning, allowing the roundabout to contribute both visually and operationally to the overall environment.

Integrating Ceremonial Steps and Ramps

Custom entrance steps and ramps were produced for His Highness’s access route. These structures required a different design approach from purely decorative scenery. Their geometry needed to support safe movement while the visible construction remained consistent with the wider environment. Ramp gradients, anti-slip finishes and edge protection formed part of the confirmed HSSE controls. Structural review was also required to verify the access elements before use.

Transitions between the installed ramps, steps and surrounding levels needed to remain controlled. Scenic surfaces, trims or decorative details could not create projections, uneven edges or obstructions. This is an important aspect of scenic fabrication for formal environments: the finished structure must appear visually resolved while continuing to perform as safe temporary access infrastructure.

Incorporating Safety Features into the Scenic Scope

Fire-extinguisher stands and signage walls were developed as visible, purpose-made parts of the wider scenic environment rather than added as unrelated site equipment. Emergency equipment needed to remain clearly identifiable, immediately accessible and unobstructed throughout the installation. The fabricated extinguisher stands therefore provided organised mounting locations while keeping the equipment visible and easy to reach. This allowed essential safety provisions to sit within the finished environment without compromising their operational function.

Fire-rated materials were applied where required, while electrical inspection formed part of the technical compliance process. These measures ensured that the scenic scope considered both the visible finish and the practical requirements associated with temporary installation safety. Signage walls were also incorporated to support safety information, wayfinding and wider operational communication. Their fabrication provided stable, clearly positioned surfaces for graphics while maintaining consistency with the surrounding scenic treatment.

By integrating these requirements during design development, the project avoided treating safety equipment and compliance provisions as additions introduced after the main scenery had been completed. The stands, signage walls and related technical measures were coordinated alongside the wider scenic construction so they could be accommodated within the overall layout. This approach helped maintain both visual consistency and clear operational access across the environment. The result was a more considered installation in which safety, communication and scenic fabrication were developed as part of the same overall scope.

Delivering the Project through Restricted Access

Restricted access was the principal confirmed installation challenge. The two-month programme required design development, fabrication and site activity to remain closely coordinated. Information needed to move quickly from technical development into workshop production, while finished assets had to be delivered in sequences compatible with the available access.

The different scenic systems could not all be installed at the same stage. Larger walls, platforms, ramps, tents and the wooden roundabout needed to establish the principal physical layout. Decorative assets, graphics, equipment hiders and technical cladding could then be aligned around those larger structures. Restricted access also increased the importance of protecting completed work. Once installed, scenic surfaces needed to remain clear of subsequent technical activity and material movement.

Delivering Cultural Scenery as Functional Infrastructure

The Al Wathba Union Parade project demonstrates the breadth of modern scenic fabrication. The completed scope included culturally detailed furniture, decorative technical housings, temporary tent interiors, branding walls, CNC-produced scenic construction, ceremonial access structures, camera platforms, speaker hiders, cable cladding, signage and fire-safety provisions.

Each element needed to fulfil its own practical purpose while remaining visually connected to the wider environment. Evolution Scenic coordinated the design development, fabrication, installation, technical production and maintenance within a two-month delivery programme and under restricted-access conditions. The result was not simply a collection of themed decorative assets. It was an integrated scenic environment in which cultural character, technical infrastructure, safe access and operational support were developed as one physical system.