Working for Imagination, Unusual built a false ceiling covering the whole of Hall 4 in Birmingham for the Ford Motor Group, which includes Ford, Mazda, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Aston Martin. The central feature of Hall 4 is a large area of ice with 3 Classic Bond Cars.
Unusual were commissioned to produce a variable speed winch system for a ‘bubble ballet’ where two performers went through an acrobatic routine within inflatable balls whilst they were going up and down!
In Paris,a case of Rigging, Mathematics and Ingenuity.
Contracted by long-standing client Imagination, Unusual carried out the rigging for the Ford Motor Group, which includes Ford, Mazda, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Aston Martin. As usual for most motor shows, the process started with the building of a uniform grid from which all lighting, sound and exhibit related display material was suspended. The grid was hung from 220 rigging points and used over a kilometre of truss.
Volvo has their own poly-faceted exhibition ceiling and up to this point had been unable to use it at Paris Expo due to its weight. Upon closer inspection, Robin Elias of Unusual identified that the fundamental issue was not the weight of the piece but precisely how the weight was distributed. Calculations proved that 90% of the total structure could be installed, providing that the issue of weight distribution was dealt with in fine detail. The spaceframe roof of the exhibition hall roof consisted of 3 metre squares and the Volvo ceiling consisted of 2 metre squares. This created the problem of how to match and optimise the ceiling hanging points with those of the venue. The halls hanging points had a limit of 150 Kgs and with an anticipated loaded ceiling weight of 12 tonnes, the minimum number of points used had to be 80. However, the loadings were such that it would not be possible to leave the chain hoists in the roof and consequently, the structure would have to be lifted in pieces and dead hung.
Hanging the Volvo ceiling was one of those challenges that initially provokes a comment – ‘Surely it can be done?’ Homework and preparation was essential. Unusual’s combination of rigging experience and structural design expertise satisfied the authorities that the theory was sound and approval was given to install the ceiling.
Never ones to baulk at a challenge, especially after lunch, a broad range of French experts offered well timed, well meaning advice, opinions and instructions at opportune moments. Robin Elias’ vocabulary of colloquial French expletives has now improved dramatically. The successful execution of the task to schedule proved the point that if Unusual says it can be done, it certainly will be done.
