Dubai Arrivals LED Screens

The ‘Essence of Expo 2020’ is an experiential AV installation housed in the arrivals hall of Dubai International Airport – the world’s busiest airport.

Dynamo LED Displays were chosen by PixelArtworks to supply 169m2 of 2.5mm LED screens in order for them to create an experiential activation to excite, engage and inspire the 23 million passengers who come into Dubai each year through the arrivals hall in Terminal 3.
With just three months to design and deliver the project, receive full approval and certification for all designs and equipment, in a ‘live’ airport, in the run up to the festive period, PixelArtworks and their Dynamo LED were up against it from the start!

Working closely with Dynamo LED Displays, PixelArtworks quickly ideated a design which utilised the columns and central thoroughfare in the arrivals hall, creating 10 huge LED structures which tower over the audience creating a massive, unified display on which to show Expo 2020’s vision and ambition.
At the base of the 4 entry and exit columns, gigantic ‘halo’s’ were created using the Dynamo’s flexible, curved P2.5 LED product, providing a full, 360 degree wrap around screen to present the key content and messaging for the client.

The 32 million LED pixels were driven by three disguise 4x4Pro machines [two live machines and one understudy], connected to the LED screens over 9km of military-grade fiber optic cables. Ten Novastar 4K controllers  (5x MCTRL4K Master, 5x MCTRL4K Back-up) were configured for transmission with seamless redundancy. These were used in conjunction with the Novastar CVT fibre extension system to achieve the bandwidth required.
A state-of-the-art 16-channel spatial audio system driven by Timax Soundhub system via Dante provided an immersive 3D audio experience under each of the installation’s ‘halo’ screens.
PixelArtworks also developed a custom show-control user interface which ran on Medialon Showmaster Pro MkII, providing in-situ and remote control, monitoring and reporting across all of the installed systems and providing integration into the airport’s BMS and alarms systems.

The installation had to go through the airport’s stringent approvals processes including; fire rating, civil and mechanical structural approval and electrical safety testing – a process which can take over three months on it’s own.

The displays are used as a canvas to display beautiful animations designed to show Expo 2020’s vision and key subthemes – Opportunity, Mobility & Sustainability. PixelArtworks created three chapters of content – 9 minutes in total – taking the audience from ‘sand to the stars’ on a journey that played out across the pillars before bursting into life to present Expo 2020’s key campaign imagery and ‘World’s Greatest Show’ message.

This installation is not only the biggest AV project ever to be completed in the world’s busiest airport, but was designed and delivered on time and on budget, in just three months, before the airport’s busiest period.
It’s testament to PixelArtworks, their partners at Dynamo LED Displays, Team Visual Solutions, Disguise and the support of Expo 2020 and Dubai International Airport’s design, engineering & fit-out teams that this project was able to go ahead on such a scale and with such success.

The activation sits front and center for all of the 23 million passengers that arrive at DXB every year, its scale, beauty and narrative content is unmissable, an immersive selfie spot and the perfect welcome, from Expo 2020 to Dubai.