Cerami is the official Audiovisual, IT, Security and Acoustic consultant of the Sustainability Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, bringing Grimshaw’s jaw-dropping vision to life by connecting sound design with technology. With the 2020 Expo theme, “Connecting Minds and Creating The Future”, there was a lot riding on connectivity and making sure visitors would have a frictionless magical experience. “Everything connectible, but nothing detectable” was our mantra.

From the onset of this project, we planned for adaptability in order to create a long-lasting legacy in the desert that would meet the needs of 30,000 visitors a day during the Expo and then closer to 3,000 when it goes into legacy mode as a living landmark to sustainability. When this transition happens, it will empower and power future generations of global thinkers –and be part of Cerami’s legacy.

Signature Solution: All eyes will be on Dubai Expo 2020, the magnificent World Expo. And while the world will be watching to see the future in technology and sustainability, Cerami’s security systems will be keeping watch on the world. With security being of utmost importance, Cerami integrated intelligent cameras into the ribs of the dramatic canopy, as well as hid them into the “trees” that will be generating their own electricity and water. Working with the UAE security force, we created a command central that set a new standard of excellence.

Aspirations for the newly expanded MoMA was achieved through a marriage of science and art, with Cerami’s acoustic engineers and audiovisual consultants making sure that things sound as good as they look. Upon entry you will notice the stunning Blade Stair, the signature circulation centerpiece connecting the old space to the new. Cerami performed a series of detailed acoustical analysis to determine the optimum amount of acoustical absorption that would satisfy design objectives, landing on floor-to-ceiling wood-paneled walls, speckled with millions of barely detectable micro-perforations that absorb sound like a sponge and keep noise from spilling out to the galleries – aligning the sound with the sleek beauty of the design.

Signature Solution: At the heart of the new space is the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Studio, the world’s first dedicated space for performance, process and time-based art within a museum. Challenged with how to design the Studio to be impervious to NYC’s bustling 53rd Street and ensure its adaptability for an expansive variety of uses, Cerami brought this design challenge into their Immersive Studio so that the MoMA creative team could experience the experience before it was built. Through virtual simulations and numerous iterations, Cerami’s solution was a floating gallery with tilting walls, adjustable banners that can alter the acoustics, and an isolated secondary curtain wall engineered so guests will never know they are in midtown Manhattan. This silence is part of the gallery experience, art you can’t touch, but you can sense; a blank canvas to be transformed with each installation.