With its display of classic cars, dancing girls and a star-studded guest list, the party to celebrate the London premiere of the new Hollywood film Fast and Furious 6 was always going to be a glamorous affair.
However, such a special event requires a special location, which is why organisers not only decided to hold it in the courtyard at Somerset House, but chose to host the party inside a series of clear roof-skinned temporary structures from GL events Owen Brown.
The structures included two Absolute structures with curved Eclipse roofs, linked to a complex of hexagonal structures.
Their clear roof skins were complemented by the installation of dozens of one metre window panels, which created near-fully transparent structures. These allowed the interior lights to illuminate the courtyard and enabled the VIPs inside, to admire the surroundings without having to set foot outside.
Although our temporary structures made an unforgettable impression, that is only half the story, because working at Somerset House is not without its challenges.
The utmost care is needed when operating amongst its 18th Century architecture and timing is crucial because the venue, which stages art and culture exhibitions, is open to the public during the day.
This meant that the majority of our work to build and then disassemble the structure had to be done throughout the night, starting three days before the party took place.
Then, as soon as the party ended, we moved in, working until 11am the following morning. We returned again that evening and finally left the site at 5am.
Scott Hayward, Managing Director of Owen Brown, said: “Using structures with clear roof skins for night-time events creates a definite wow factor, especially when they are used at such a beautiful venue such as Somerset House.
“This was a tremendous event to be involved in and, thanks to our staff’s planning, hard work and professionalism, we created a venue thoroughly befitting of a Hollywood film premiere.
