grandMA3 in Control for Opening of Zayed National Museum

The celebration for the opening of Abu Dhabi’s stunning new Zayed National Museum was a hugely prestigious event, and for multiple reasons. MA Lighting’s grandMA3 control system played a central role, in the experienced hands of programmers Max Narula and Aria Hailey, in achieving the spectacular vision of lighting designer Bruno Poet.

The Zayed National Museum, designed by Foster + Partners and named in memory of the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed, is a spectacular edifice in its own right. With its five distinctive ‘sails’ – each a solar thermal tower designed to draw cool air through the building – rising above a central, faceted ‘hill’ representing the Emirates’ terrain, it formed the backdrop to this celebration of UAE’s history, culture and future.

However, this was not a one-dimensional celebration. Not only did the event mark the official opening of this stunning cultural centrepiece, it also coincided with the UAE’s National Day, and the first ever public performance by the newly formed UAE National Orchestra.

With the National Orchestra performing front and centre, and performers all around and on the building façade, the museum’s elegant, towering architectural presence was a formidable backdrop. Bruno Poet was tasked with bringing it to life, both architecturally and dramatically, with lights and projection.

“This extraordinary museum was effectively our set,” says Poet, “within which we were to visually enhance the drama of the music and the storytelling of the show, as well as to celebrate the building in its own right.”

The lighting rig was extensive. It needed to light the architecture in precise time with the projection from Moment Factory, to accentuate the music and illuminate the museum’s textured surface, and to highlight the performance itself – all of which was a tricky prospect with lighting positions affected by the desire for a clean look to the whole presentation. With backlight placements limited, Poet would rely on side and front light wherever possible.

Helping to bring all this into reality in a timely manner was a networked grandMA3 control system managed by lighting programmer Max Narula. As both an experienced grandMA3 user and a long-term collaborator with Poet, he was well placed to translate the designer’s creative vision.