Expo 2020 Dubai: audio-video technology in the Italy Pavilion

Expo 2020 Dubai was the first World Expo held in an Arab country. It took place between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, and saw the participation of as many as 200 countries from around the world.

Expo 2020 Dubai was a unique opportunity to engage in dialogue and exchange ideas on three key themes: opportunity, mobility, and sustainability. At AGMultivision, we were involved by the design and innovation studio CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati (Turin and New York) to develop the audio-video technology project for the Italy Pavilion. Tiziano Testoni, AV Design Engineer at AGMultivision, coordinated both on-site and remote teams selected to bring the project to life. A great honor and a rewarding professional achievement that we would like to share with you today.

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

Index

1. Expo 2020 Dubai: the genesis of the project for the Italy Pavilion
2. The project for the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai following Covid-19
3. Audio-video technology for Expo 2020 Dubai
4. Expo 2020 Dubai: the design of audio-video technology
5. The benefits of the audio-video technology chosen by AGMultivision for Expo 2020 Dubai
6. The collaboration with the CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati studio and the other project partners

1. Expo 2020 Dubai: the genesis of the project for the Italy Pavilion

In 2019, we were selected by the CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati studio to take part in the development of a multimedia project for the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai—an architectural work designed by CRA, Italo Rota Building Office with F&M Ingegneria and Matteo Gatto. A project that made us very proud to be among the 70 partners who contributed to the creation of this jewel of Made in Italy.
In particular, we were responsible for designing the audio-video technology for the Pavilion spaces intended to entertain the public and host talk shows. The Pavilion rooms were also set to host private meetings and important public relations events. A great responsibility!
The initial work later became more complex due to the pandemic. Covid, in fact, prevented travel and imposed the need to create hybrid events, where physical presence is complemented by an excellent remote experience. For this reason, the Italy Pavilion had to function as a small television broadcaster, with guests on site and numerous remote connections. It was therefore necessary to find a system that would allow on-site content production to be shared later on social media and web TV. We were designing a real dedicated channel to tell the story of what was happening in Dubai during Expo 2020—what a challenge!

2. The project for the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai following Covid-19

The unexpected and unforeseeable arrival of the pandemic changed the game: an unforeseen event that, thanks to our experience in the field of audio-video and multimedia technology, we were able to successfully contain. When the need arose to create an audio-video system for the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai that would function like a television channel, the need emerged to radically change the original project. The spaces of the new project had to be interconnected, so that everything happening inside the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and in the immediate surroundings could be managed from the control room.

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

3. Audio‑video technology for Expo Dubai 2020

The contents created in the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai were in fact not intended exclusively for distribution through digital channels. Many of these productions were also used for display on large screens built using both LED technology and standard technology with LCD monitors. Each space was therefore characterized by a clearly defined display mode, supported by a digital sound‑distribution system; in this way it was possible to experience from every environment what was happening in the other spaces. To achieve the required results, we recommended, for the display technologies, the use of very large LED screens made up of panels of different sizes. We also took care to combine the functional aspect with the aesthetic one. At the entrance of the Italy Pavilion, luminous “curtains” were thus created, anchored by tripods, which strongly defined the appearance of the exterior. These were nautical ropes to which very bright LED strips were attached, on which luminous messages with large letters and colours were displayed, creating a “wow” effect for those arriving to visit the Pavilion. The luminous “curtains” were often painted with the colours of the Italian flag; alternatively, they projected the Expo 2020 Dubai motto “La bellezza unisce i popoli” (“Beauty connects peoples”): a highly impactful communication.

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

4. Expo 2020 Dubai: the design of audio‑video technology

Thanks to the expertise we have built up over the years, we designed all the display modes, creating the control room as well: the selection of components, the size, and the LED wall technologies; in addition, we took care of choosing the technologies able to transmit signals to the interfaces, so that everything produced in the control room could be seen. The project required as many as six months of work; our role focused on consulting as an innovation player, designing all the environments and specifying the audio‑video solutions required to carry out this major and extraordinary undertaking. Subsequently, we transferred the project onto paper and shared it with the company that was awarded the tender.

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

Photo Credit: Tiziano Testoni – AV Design Engineer AGMultivision

5. The benefits of the audio‑video technology chosen by AGMultivision for Expo 2020 Dubai

Being the partners of such an important experience was a beautiful and exciting challenge, thanks to the experience and know‑how of our technicians in creating spaces able to host events with large flows of people. What were the priorities we focused on when choosing the audio‑video technology to use? Here are some of them:

• enable speed: within a few hours, guests could participate in interviews and remote appearances.
• generate cost savings on guest expenses, so that they could participate in a meaningful experience, even remotely.
• Simplify time management; attending a live event in person means dedicating at least three days to participation. In this way, instead, a single click was enough.
• enable and facilitate interaction between the audience and the remote guest: encoding delays were in fact reduced to a minimum, never exceeding one second.
• offer an unparalleled listening and viewing experience.

6. The collaboration with the studio CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati and the other project partners

Expo 2020 Dubai was a great emotion for us at AGMultivision: one of those experiences that generate satisfaction both for the work carried out and for the opportunity to participate in globally significant projects. We therefore want to thank CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati and, in particular, Senior Architect and Project Manager Francesco Strocchio. We also take this opportunity to thank all the partners who, with professionalism and strong commitment, contributed to making the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai a wonderful meeting place for participants from all over the world.

Thanks to:

• Giovanni Trogu – CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (Senior Architect – Project Manager)
• Lorenzo Bruscaglioni – Luminae Lighting Design (Lighting Designer)
• Alessandro Pasini – P2A Design (Acoustics & Architecture Designer)
• Wasim Massad – Raq (Project Manager)
• Walter Lutzu – Photonika Lighting Design Brand (Lighting Console Programmer – ChamSys)
• Valentina Giardini – F.M. Scenografie (Technical Dept.)

Follow us on our social channels Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube not to miss the latest news from the AV technology world and the story of our next adventures. See you soon!