UAE Golden Jubilee Telescopic Scenic Buildings At Hatta Dam

Engineering A Telescopic Skyline For The UAE Golden Jubilee

The UAE’s Golden Jubilee production at Hatta Dam combined large-scale performance design with one of the country’s most dramatic natural settings. Designed by Es Devlin and produced by LarMac Live, the performance took place on a floating stage constructed within an artificial pool. The surrounding mountains formed part of the visual composition, framing the stage and amplifying the scale of the production.

Evolution Scenic was responsible for delivering one of its most ambitious scenic features: 100 illuminated telescopic replicas of iconic UAE buildings. Concealed within the central stage feature for most of the performance, the structures rose together in synchronisation during the climax, creating a luminous architectural skyline representing 50 years of national achievement and progress.

The reveal transformed the performance into a symbolic visual journey, as the skyline emerged from the stage to echo the nation’s rapid development. The coordinated lift system and integrated lighting design ensured a seamless transition from concealment to full illumination, reinforcing the narrative of growth and unity at the heart of the celebration.

Turning Architecture Into Moving Scenery

The scenic concept required recognisable building forms to function as compact, moving structures. Each replica had to preserve enough of the original building’s architectural identity to remain legible to the audience, while also operating as part of a telescopic mechanical system. As a result, the structures could not be designed as conventional static props; their external surfaces, internal frames, lighting systems, and moving tiers all needed to be developed as a single, integrated assembly.

Some of the buildings extended beyond six metres when fully raised, yet had to retract into concealed spaces as small as 1.2 metres by 20 centimetres. This extreme shift in scale demanded a carefully engineered approach in which form and mechanism were inseparable. The scenic elements were designed not only to represent architecture, but also to physically perform its transformation in real time.

To achieve this, a multi-tiered construction system was developed, with individual structures incorporating up to four telescopic sections. These layers divided the visible height into nested components that could collapse smoothly into one another beneath the stage. The result was a set of architectural forms capable of expanding and contracting seamlessly, maintaining visual clarity while enabling complex stage movement.

Controlling Movement Across One Hundred Structures

The buildings were driven by telescopic tower machines and guided by heavy-duty industrial tracks. These track systems controlled the vertical travel of the moving scenic tiers as each structure extended and retracted. Their purpose was to reduce unwanted movement and maintain consistent alignment throughout the sequence.

Accuracy was essential because every building formed part of a much larger architectural composition. Any structure that stopped at the wrong height, moved unevenly or twisted during travel would disrupt the visual rhythm of the skyline. The mechanical and scenic components therefore had to work together as a single controlled system.

The completed system needed to deliver repeatable movement across 100 separately fabricated units. Although each building had its own architectural proportions and tier arrangement, every structure had to reach its final position within the same programmed sequence. This required the movement of the individual units to remain coordinated with the collective transformation of the skyline.

Fabricating Illuminated Scenic Lightboxes

The architectural replicas were constructed as self-illuminated scenic lightboxes. Internal LED lighting gave each building a strong visual presence and reinforced its three-dimensional form. This was particularly important at Hatta Dam, where the structures needed to remain visually clear against the surrounding mountains, stage lighting and open night sky.

The illuminated surfaces allowed the buildings to read as architectural volumes rather than flat cut-outs. Each structure contained individually controlled LEDs, enabling its lighting to be managed as part of the wider scenic composition. All 100 buildings were patched into a single control circuit so the lighting team could create coordinated sequences across the entire skyline.

The lighting integration also had to remain compatible with the telescopic movement of the structures. Electrical connections and cable routes needed to accommodate the extension and retraction of the individual tiers. Every component had to move without obstructing the mechanical system or compromising the illuminated effect.

Working Within A Challenging Outdoor Environment

Hatta Dam provided an exceptional visual backdrop, but the location also introduced significant technical challenges. High winds and humidity were confirmed considerations for the moving scenic system. The tall, lightweight replicas needed to rise smoothly and remain visually stable once fully extended.

The telescopic mechanisms and heavy-duty industrial tracks also needed to operate reliably within the outdoor environment. This required the moving components to maintain their alignment throughout repeated extension and retraction. Their operation was fundamental to the timing and visual consistency of the complete skyline.

The floating stage and artificial pool added another layer of coordination to the installation. Each scenic structure had to integrate into a central stage feature with highly restricted concealed spaces and limited tolerance for dimensional variation. Successful operation therefore depended on the relationship between workshop accuracy, mechanical alignment, control integration and on-site testing.

Delivering The Performance Climax

During the climax of the Golden Jubilee performance, 100 illuminated structures rose together from the stage floor. The sequence transformed the central performance space into a three-dimensional architectural landscape.

The buildings represented the UAE’s growth over the previous 50 years. Through the coordinated use of movement, light and form, national development was translated into a physical scenic moment.

The final effect appeared visually simple: a complete skyline emerging seamlessly from the stage. Behind the reveal was a complex system of telescopic tiers, industrial tracks, lighting controls and individually fabricated scenic structures operating together within a compact concealed space.

Evolution Scenic’s role required scenic construction and technical engineering to be coordinated at a scale where every component contributed to the reliability of the complete installation. The finished telescopic skyline became the production’s defining visual climax and demonstrated Evolution Scenic’s capability in moving scenery, compact engineering and large-scale custom fabrication.