Qasr Al Watan ‘Palace of the Nation’ is the UAE’s newest cultural landmark situated in the presidential palace compound in Abu Dhabi. It was opened to the public in March, with the aim to give visitors a deeper understanding of the UAE’s values and traditions while preserving the heritage of the country. The opening of Qasr Al Watan is aligned with the UAE’s Vision 2021 to become a knowledge-based economy.

The palace runs a spectacular light and sound show daily as part of its efforts to showcase the UAE’s culture and history. The story which is projected onto the façade of the iconic building is told in three acts about the past, present, and the future vision of the nation.

Creative Technology (CT) was contracted to provide technical design, installation and integration of the AVIT systems for the Palace in Motion show.

Damian Rowe, CT’s director of special projects, explains “CT was given an original design for the Palace in Motion show which we expanded on to produce a working solution that fit our clients brief.”

The Palace in Motion is one of the largest projection installs in the region. CT was responsive for the design and installation of 52 x 31k Panasonic projectors and 6 disguise 4×4 Pro Media Servers. The extensive audio solution comprised of a full d&b system and the integrated lighting system consisted of a Grand MA3 lighting control, 36 x GSM fixtures and 100 x Philips fixtures which added to the overall show experience.

The venue production communications are managed with Riedel Artist 32 communications matrix, smart panels located within the two primary control rooms and a distributed Bolero solution.  

Rowe states “The equipment was specified by the consultant, during the early design stages. It was CT’s responsibility to confirm the design meets the technical specifications and provide changes to scope as required to validate the system.”

Rowe goes on to say “We were asked to design the PA systems and lighting systems to be fully removable, with this in mind, CT provided an integrated design approach which allows full flexibility within the design while still maintaining the system integrity.”

Andy Reardon, Managing Director of CT Middle East, “We are incredibly proud to have been part of this project and what our team has achieved. Damian Rowe and the Systems Integration team have been committed to this project for 12 months and have done a fantastic job of bringing the clients vision to life. The Palace in Motion show looks incredible, and I would highly recommend everyone to go see it.”