After finishing a building, the client is faced with an important question: How do they celebrate the new architecture" This moment offers an essential opportunity to inform the public about the existence and mission of the building. Therefore, the designs of opening ceremonies are often loaded with symbolic imagery to construct a new identity. Fireworks and light shows are an especially common part of the powerful repertoire used to magnify the aura of architecture. This luminous storytelling can underline the client?s uniqueness and superiority on both a local level and an international stage. I spoke with two leading designers to get their insights on how opening ceremonies have changed in recent years: Christophe Berthonneau, Creative Director at Groupe F, who introduced the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Fred Thompson, Creative Director at Laservision Mega Media, who worked on the opening of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
?Vives réflexions, museum reflections,? multimedia and pyrotechnic show for the grand opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 2017. Artistic direction: Christophe Berthonneau, Groupe F. Image © N. Chavance, Groupe F

After finishing a building, the client is faced with an important question: How do they celebrate the new architecture" This moment offers an essential opportunity to inform the public about the existence and mission of the building. Therefore, the designs of opening ceremonies are often loaded with symbolic imagery to ...