Project: 20th European Athletics Championships Opening Ceremonies,
Venue: Avenue Maria Christina
Agency: Fila 7-MediaPro
Role: Set Designer
The design criteria was to design and execute the opening ceremonies of the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona on July 26th, 2010. The selected space was the main avenue that leads up to the mountain where the Olympic installations are situated.
The focal point of the design was the giant 220’ diameter fountain at the end of the Avenue Maria Christina named the “Magic Fountain” Since Barcelona is sometimes called the “door to the Mediterranean,” we created a floor and aerial choreography executed directly over the fountain on a circular truss that would then be inclined so as to be viewed as a portal and it was from here the athletes marched out from the centre of the working fountain.
To get the athletes to “come out” of the fountain, a 365’-long scaffolding walkway ring was constructed along the upper (115’-diameter) level of the fountain; this was linked to two 90’ ramps behind which would be hidden from public view. Using the lower water jets in front of the scaffolding at just the right height, and constructed right against the water cascading down from the upper fountain, the structure became “invisible.”
Review: Set designer Adrian Smith came up with a front stage area that not only blended in with the fountain, but also linked to the lower level cascade. It was an excellent design of interconnecting platforms, leaving untouched the stone planter sculptures of the lower level cascade, and he added in his own front fascia cascades to hide the scaffolding legs; it all seemed to float.
Finalist to the Live Design Awards in the Live for Broadcast category
