Bluedot – Case Study
Case Study | Bluedot Festival Bluedot Festival is a new festival based around science and space exploration. With music, speakers, entertainment and activities, it is open to all ages and quickly becoming a family favourite. | Product: Bluedot Festival use Evolution Dome range of structures for their first event
Client - Bluedot Festival
The Brief:
Blue Dot Festival organisers, Ground Control required several large-scale structures for a three day, outdoor event at Jodrell Bank. The festival theme weighing heavily on science and space exploration – Blue Dot referring to how the Earth appears from space. With that in mind, structures used throughout the event would have to adhere to the futuristic theme as well as being highly functional. The festival also encompassed the arts as well as culture, music, food, film and technology. With so much going on within a 72 hour period, it was vital to create a well-organised layout to allow for the easy and safe flow of movement. Set up and de-rig times were also a significant consideration in deciding which structures would be used. The festival itself spanned three days. Using such a high profile venue meant that the event had to be in and out in as little time as possible.
The Solution:
Evolution Dome was excited to have been asked to be a part of this brand new, and unique festival. Taking into account the considerations and objectives of Ground Control, they suggested using 3 24m inflatable domes and the 780sqm, Fluid Scarab. A 10m dome was also added onto the package to provide a merchandise shop.
The Result:
The inflatable structures were the perfect solution for the intergalactic-themed festival. The bright white fabric combined with the natural curve of the structures provided a futuristic backdrop for the event as well as looking fantastic next to the giant telescope at the observatory. The fully air-supported design of the domes and innovative engineering fit in nicely with the technology and science elements of the festival. During the day the fabric of the structures allowed daylight to seep through, providing natural light for the stages and workshops going on within. At night, the lighting used inside made the domes glow adding to the aesthetics of the festival. Each of the domes came equipped with 4 entrance/exits. This allowed for a very busy festival with several unique elements to flow smoothly. The structures themselves, being vast, were able to accommodate a large number of people as well as events going on inside. The largest, which is the Fluid Scarab, became ‘Mission Control’ and was home to a space exhibition, workshops and talks. Due to the innovative design, the structures didn’t have any beams or poles taking up space. The air-supported engineering meant that the structures were very open and modern, compared to conventional marquees. Quick install and de-rig times were also a huge benefit to using inflatable structures. Using an iconic venue like Jordell Bank Observatory obviously came with a lot of restrictions. The site is open to the public daily, using the admission charges to upkeep the Grade I listed telescope, educational centre and vast parks and gardens. Having a quick turnaround of just seven days, meant that the centre was able to resume operations with very little disruption. Evolution Dome was able to install nearly 2000sqm of structures in only one day, with a small crew of approximately 20. De-rig was just as quick, meaning that the Blue Dot crew had ample time to fill the domes with stages, workshops and exhibits.
