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Reflecting on the Inauguration of The Burj Khalifa, Dubai 2010

Pierre Marcout, President & Artistic Director, Prisme Entertainment Inc.

Reflecting on the Inauguration of the Burj Khalifa

“An incredible Event touching the emotions of two billion People worldwide. “

by Pierre Marcout, August 2015

© Council on Tall Buildings

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Credentials

Burj Khalifa

The concept & Storyboard

• The challenge of a Tower to be. • There is no impossible in life. • Create an international icon. • The making off. • The show must go on !!

Next step

• The Storyboard. • The Movie. Act 1 Act 2 Act 3


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Becoming an Architectural Lighting Designer, a passion I got from my childhood.

“Lighting as a novel form of art allows you to create different atmospheres and adds power to attract tourism.”

INTRODUCTION


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I decided to be an Ephemeral Transformer of City’s through lighting shows.

I quickly found the exiting lighting system too static.

I started to imagine how to transform the City further. I wanted to create events within the city.

INTRODUCTION


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THE CREDENTIALS


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“The Festival of Lights” in Lyon, my 1st step into the Lighting World. 1989 The Mayor of Lyon, Michel Noir, tasked myself and two other lighting designers with

establishing the first “Municipality Lighting Plan.”

The first Lighting Plan was a pioneering initiative with technical and artistic impact.

THE CREDENTIALS


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“The Festival of Lights” in Lyon is now attracting every December more than 2 million worldwide tourists.

THE CREDENTIALS


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The Hermitage Museum - St Petersburg, Russia 1992 THE CREDENTIALS


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Castillo Del Morro - Havana, Cuba 1994 THE CREDENTIALS


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Ho Chi Min House - How Chi Min, Vietnam 1995 THE CREDENTIALS


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With only a touch of colors, the image projections – the world’s largest – transformed the 200m height of its minaret to a fantastic allegory with different architectural expressions.

The Great Hassan II Mosque - Casablanca, Morocco 1993 THE CREDENTIALS


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The G7 Summit - Lyon, France 1996 THE CREDENTIALS


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THE CREDENTIALS

Looking for a more eager market to develop this new kind of entertainment, I moved to Dubai in 1997.

I founded PRISME International and quickly became recognized as

one of the world’s specialist for large-scale events.

Prisme, an innovative firm that has pioneered the art of transforming ideas into engaging experiences.

1997 The new departure - Dubai, UAE


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BURJ KHALIFA

The challenge of a Tower to be.


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BURJ KHALIFA

Vision “Dubai, a city that has no dearth of capital, culture or confidence”.

• A city that emerged within a decade.

• A global economic powerhouse.

• An international notoriety. • An economic substantial growth.

• A vision that aims at transforming not just the landscape or the economy, but society.

he


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BURJ KHALIFA

I had to use my brother’s company address in France to be part of this tender.

The committee would only consider “International Companies,” thinking it was indecent to call local talent for something of this magnitude.

Upon my references I was selected among twenty of the world’s most well-known event companies.

Tender

he How the Story started...


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BURJ KHALIFA

Criticized

Crisis Bankrupt

Excessive

Debts

Situation During the world crisis, the media victimized Dubai

with announcements of its bankruptcy.

he


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CAN IS

BURJ KHALIFA

create a Spectacular event with a small budget

The launch of the Burj Khalifa must prove to the world that Dubai :

able to carry on with this Project and Promises

Fearless of criticism

win the Sympathy of the World

catch the Emotion of billion of people

strong enough to place the Burj Khalifa on the worldwide market

Objectives

he “Emerge from oil dependency and transform itself

into a global economic powerhouse.”


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BURJ KHALIFA

THIS IS HOW COMES THE INAUGURATION OF THE BURJ KHALIFA IN 2010

There is no impossible in life.


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Because

BURJ KHALIFA

They didn’t want fireworks and asked for a more glamour event with famous celebrities.

Finally…

Why?

The Objective of the Launch of such a Tower is to send out the message of

“I am Here” to the world, not to attract the media’s attention and photographers’ lenses on a star…

I wanted FIREWORKS without any stars…

We did a breathtaking fireworks without any star.

Commitment

he


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BURJ KHALIFA


The Concept & Storyboard


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BURJ KHALIFA

The guidelines of my story… Design

he


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Derived from patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture. Cultural and historical elements particular to the region such as the spiral minaret. The Y-shaped plan. 27 setbacks in a spiralling pattern. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire.

BURJ KHALIFA

Architecture

he A reflect of my show design…


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THE MOVIE

Drag the viewers into a moment of curiosity – transport them into a marvelous world.

A movie created to continue the flow.

The construction of a tower has its own story.

As a novel, the launch of any tower must tell this story.

Understand the architecture, the design, and the philosophy of the owner.

Write a script as producers create movies.

A 85m*18m screen facing the VIP’s.

Concept

he


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ACT I Escapism

Create a sense of history and culture meeting the future.


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THE MOVIE

Storyboard

he


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ACT II Light up the tower

A 3D animation where we reveal the tower. A countdown with a backlight beating like a heart.


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ACT III The final

Captivate the emotion & Surprise the audience.

Dream

Magnificent Attraction

Spectacular

Surprise

Exquisite

Prodigy

Crescendo


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THE MOVIE

Storyboard

he


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The tower was know as Burj Dubai (‘Dubai Tower”) until its official opening in January 2010. It was renamed in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the federal government of UAE lent Dubai tens of billions of USD so that Dubai could pay its debts - Dubai borrowed at least $80 billion for construction projects.

BURJ KHALIFA

Name

he From Burj Dubai to the Burj Khalifa.


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THE MOVIE

Storyboard

he


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BURJ KHALIFA

Venue

he


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The music guides the show.

Compose the music to give rythme to your own story.

The only language understandable by all.

BURJ KHALIFA

Music provides the Greatest Emotions.

Music

he


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BURJ KHALIFA

Preparation

he A rollercoaster of up & downs and a daily fight for

success & achievement.

Challenge

6 weeks 300 people


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Announced during the building’s opening celebration, the height of 828 meters (2,717 feet), was revealed on a digital projection amidst a spectacular fireworks and water show.

BURJ KHALIFA

Secret

he After years of speculation…


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BURJ KHALIFA

The show must go on !!


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BURJ KHALIFA

A combination of dazzling fireworks, light beams, choreographed water displays, and sound & music effects will describe the evolution of the world’s most iconic new building in a breathtaking sensory journey.

A PRECISION - choreographed sound,

light and water show.

Show

he

The LARGEST ever light projection.

The Inauguration of a tower as a star.

The HIGHEST ever fireworks display.


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BURJ KHALIFA

Fireworks

he

The Fireworks sparkle the BEAUTY of the structure.

Emphasise the GRANDIOSE of the achievement

Drive all eyes on the structure and provide

MEMORABLE frames.

Reveal the Glamour of an Icon.


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Date : January 4, 2010 Name of the event : Burj Khalifa inauguration ceremony Venue : Emaar Island Client : Emaar Properties Agency : Prisme International Creative and artistic director : Pierre Marcout Number of delegates : Members of the Royal family, VVIPs, thousands of spectators, global media audience

BURJ KHALIFA

Facts

he


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BURJ KHALIFA

Inauguration he


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BURJ KHALIFA

“Dear brothers, there are no projects without risks. Thus, there is a risk factor in every project, and we all know that.

Should that stop us from moving forward?

Life is all about challenges.

Risk is present in every step we take and in each project we initiate.”

February 11, 2013 - Mohammed bin Rashid’s discussion with Emiratis and Arab citizens at Government Summit

“We, in the UAE, have no such word as “impossible”; it does not exist in our lexicon.”


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BURJ KHALIFA


Create an international icon.


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KINGDOM TOWER

For the next challenge, I have the chance to work on the upcoming World’s Tallest Building record breaker under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which could be lighting up the skies in 2018.

NEXT STEP

he


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Next Step

Prisme Entertainment are creators of fusion art, bringing world cultures,

entertainment and technology to life.


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• Keep the height in mystery until the launch date.

• Use the tower’s architecture inspired by the Hymenocallis, to place Dubai as contemporary and meaningful place.

• Create fireworks design to be a signature on the rooftop of the world. • Work on both a futuristic and locally design to lent Dubai the international image of a city on the rise.

BURJ KHALIFA

"Without a vision to guide our path, and without ambition that knows no limits, we can never build a bright future for generations to come."

Strategy

he “History Rising” as an apt tagline.


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On Sunday 18th January 2015 at a Press Conference

in Cairo agreement was signed between Prisme

Entertainment company and The Misr Company for

Sound & Light and Cinema to develop and operate

the Sound & Light show and site at the Great

Pyramids of Giza in Cairo.

The Giza Pyramids - Egypt

Lighting on Existing Iconic Sites & Structures

NEXT STEP

ermanent SHOWS


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Semi-autonomous spaces with retail, ticketing, branding, F&B, gift shops and a public exhibition gallery.

Creating New Futurist Structures

NEXT STEP

ermanent SHOWS


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Mohammed Al Abbar, EMAAR, CEO, 2010

A world renowned success story

THANK YOU


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Documents

Reflecting on the Inauguration of The Burj Khalifa, Dubai …global.ctbuh.org/resources/presentations/reflecting-on-the... · Reflecting on the Inauguration of The Burj Khalifa,