In partnership with WeAreCollider, we were given the task of delivering a venue rigging package for the UK’s first Fortnite Major event, Red Bull Contested, hosted at Edinburgh’s historic McEwan Hall. Built in 1894, this Grade A listed building boasts ornate, hand-painted panels on its grand dome — a stunning visual but also a nightmare for rigging specialists!
One of the first obstacles our team encountered was suspending a 3t 10mx10m LED wall from roof structure, WER found pre-existing hatches that hadn’t been used in decades hidden in the paint work and worked closely with the venue structural engineers, who had serious concerns regarding the additional load on the venue’s intricate wrought iron framework and archways supporting the free-standing glass dome.
Further complications arose from hidden unsupported voids beneath the auditoriums timber floor in the front of house area that posed floor loading risks, as the production required two 10m free stand LX Booms had to have significant ballast, these areas had to be carefully avoided.
The greatest challenge was manoeuvring spreaders and equipment into a space with only 40cm of clearance to access the dome’s internal structure. Working on and around listed glass panelling, WER worked closely with venue and engineers to removed select glass panels and navigated through a complex network of small steel frames and beams — protecting the building and our equipment, positioned 22 metres above ground.
To overcome these challenges, we had to implement a range of complex rigging solutions. They were not only meticulously designed to meet the project’s precise requirements, but also expertly installed to compliment the beauty of Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall.
For instance, we incorporated truss spreaders into the limited roof space, creating a robust trussing system with minimal fixing points, ensuring it supported both the equipment and preserved the integrity of the building.
Since we couldn’t directly fix the equipment to the system, we used a soft rigging and restraint system. This approach enabled us to securely mount the necessary infrastructure while also providing additional protection for the building.
This project provided a fantastic opportunity for our team to showcase their creativity, designing custom platforms and truss frames that could be strategically mounted in challenging spots throughout the venue. The guys went above and beyond in the rope access needed to access the parts of the building that hadn’t been used in years, possibly never before.
The stage was set for a fierce battle royale of high-stakes, solo combat, right in the heart of the action.
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