TASK
Saudi Arabia is an interesting unusual country, which allows contractor to show all his creativity.
Representatives of the Ministry of Transport of Saudi Arabia have set the task – it should be the most unusual and creative stand, which immediately tell you about activity direction and infrastructural power of the country. This is the most pleasant thing that a designer can hear – there were practically no limitations, the project could be implement in full.
CONCEPT
World Road Congress 2019 – the event for which the exhibition stand had being prepared. It takes place every 4 years and each time changes the location. This is a rather chamber event at the level of Ministries and major industry players.
The concept was based on a combination of “infinity of development”, “infinity of roads” and “eternal road in the dunes” ideas.
CHALLENGES
When we presented the project, we could not approve it for a long time – no one believed that such forms could be implemented taking into account the safety of such complicated structure.
Therefore, for a long time we didn’t have confirmation whether we should work on it or no. There were heated discussions in the Ministry, whether to give a chance for this project, or to go into more familiar forms.
STAND MANUFACTURE
11 days before the installation we had received confirmation of our approval as the general contractor of the project. It is impossible to express feelings unequivocally: both crazy joy that it is possible to realize a “dream project”, and fear for the timing of implementation and timely delivery of the project. But we accepted the challenge, and there was no turning back.
These days cannot be described: crazy nerves stretched like strings of the whole team, every minute reconciliation of materials, drawings, furniture; resolving issues with the organizers, receiving confirmation from them on construction, changing the area at the very last moment when the construction is ready, and adapting it to a new plan … and the news about only 48 hours for installation and not a minute more ….
INSTALLATION
This, perhaps, was the most exciting moment – to assemble 180 square meters of such complexity of the stand in 48 hours …
And these 48 hours had come. To say that we were worried is to say nothing. Installation timing was monitored every second. Project managers and installers were able to make this miracle almost without interruption and sleep – a beautiful massive “ship in the dunes”, an “endless distance of roads” relentlessly rushed forward – to receive distinguished guests and demonstrate the country’s development strategy in the field of transport infrastructure.
RESULT
It was a crazy marathon! Crazy, but so inspiring and tangibly large. Our colleagues at the exhibition site didn’t believe that we would succeed.