Midland Scaffolding Services has helped deliver an unusual event project after building a 270 sq m scaffold projection screen for Arc Project’s 24-hour treadmill race in north London.
The structure formed part of Arc Project 4, known as The Treadmill Factory, which saw 50 teams compete on manual treadmills inside a former World War Two tank factory.
The event, staged on Saturday 30 May, brought together running, music, lighting and projection inside the industrial venue.
For MSS, the brief was to create the main projection screen at the rear of the event space.
30 metres wide
The scaffold screen measured 30 metres wide and 9 metres high.
MSS said it believes the structure could be one of the largest projection screens built using scaffolding and monarflex, although that claim has not been independently verified.
The project was structurally calculated by Chris at Apex Scaffold Design and designed by MSS contracts director Ben Ekins.
A 6-strong MSS team erected the structure in a single day using Cuplock system scaffold, complete with a Cuplock staircase.
Superclad Monarflex was then cut to the frame, pulled tight and finished smooth to give the projection team a clean surface for video mapping.
The screen had to be ready quickly so the lighting and projection teams could begin setting up the visual content for the event.
Factory race
Arc Project 4 was a 24-hour indoor treadmill relay, with runners competing from 10 am on Saturday until 10 am on Sunday.
The format saw teams of 4 rotate across the event, with each team using a manual treadmill and aiming to cover the greatest distance over the 24-hour period.
The race environment changed throughout the event, with lighting, darkness, heat, sound and DJ sets used to create a demanding setting for the runners.
The scaffold screen became a major part of that environment, carrying projected imagery throughout the race and turning the factory wall into a visual backdrop for the event.
Ben Ekins also took part in the race the morning after overseeing the scaffold design, joining the runners on one of the treadmills.
Different use for scaffolding
MSS said the project showed how scaffolding skills can be used beyond conventional construction work.
The company said event structures, creative installations and temporary production spaces all need the same planning, speed and attention to detail seen on building sites.
In a statement, MSS said: “When James, Sonni and Hamish needed someone to help make their vision structurally possible, we wanted to deliver.
“Scaffolding is structure, possibility and problem solving. It can be the backbone behind experiences people talk about long after the event has finished.”
The company added that the AP4 project was “something different” for the team and showed how temporary scaffold structures can support large-scale creative events as well as construction projects.
