Distillery decking for an immersive experience
To celebrate its 200th anniversary in unforgettable style, Scottish distillery The Macallan commissioned Cirque du Soleil – world renowned for their contemporary and ingenious circus performances – to create an immersive and bespoke show in one of the warehouses on The Macallan’s award-winning estate.
Steeldeck Rentals collaborated closely with the design team to meet their unique requirements, such as incorporating a river running through the stage and designing retractable bridges. The project required the installation of 500 pieces of Steeldeck to create this epic performance space. The deck was carefully aligned to match the ground levels outside, creating a seamless flow from the audience area to the performance stage.
In collaboration with the technical director and designers, we developed innovative solutions such as constructing the riverbed base, which included a tank holding 700 litres of water to maintain a flowing river system. We designed a retractable bridge system with three bridges spanning the river, designed to operate invisibly during the performance.
We were in constant communication with the client, managing the scheduling and providing ongoing engineering and technical support right up to the show’s opening night. Our team collaborated with multiple departments to address specific needs such as reinforcing the area for the tightwire performance. We meticulously aligned the entire structure along a 60-metre centre line, starting from three points in the room, ensuring precise installation.
This project presented unique challenges to keep us on our toes including its stunning remote location, complex load in process and the grand scale of the production.
The performances received high praise from both The Macallan distillery and the audience, marking what can happen when creativity and expertise come together for a memorable celebration of The Macallan’s 200th anniversary.