Access All Areas November 2019 | Page 7

NOVEMBER | AGENDA Brentford FC signs Levy UK for new stadium MET Studio reveals Expo 2020 and Singapore work Global experiential designers MET Studio are set to create two landmark projects internationally: Expo 2020’s ground-breaking Mobility Pavilion and From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience. Running until January 2020, From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience – a close partnership with the Singapore Bicentennial Office, takes visitors on a 45-minute, multi-sensual journey charting Singapore’s evolution through the ages. MET Studio are ‘designers and storytellers’ with work that includes Hong Kong’s Iconic wetland park, immersive and interactive brand experiences for the likes of Samsung and Manchester United and museum galleries for clients such as the Chicago Field Museum, Hong Kong Science museum, Amsterdam’s Het Scheepvaartmuseum and the RAF Museum London. MET Studio are currently working on Expo 2020’s Mobility Pavilion with Foster+Partners and Weta Workshop, creating a multi-sensory and immersive redefining of the human mobility. Set within an original colonial building in central Singapore, MET Studio has employed a combination of digital and physical techniques to build an immersive experience charting the area’s occupation through to modern- day Singapore. The event is curated in a series of zones framed as ‘acts, with MET’s digital and physical concepts playing strongly to the strengths of overall creative director Beatrice Chia and her background in theatrical and event design. Met Studio says ‘’This project has been Monumental for the studio; it’s an honour and a huge responsibility to play such a major role in the re- telling of a place’s history. We have worked sensitively and honestly to create drama from truth and in that, we feel we have produced something far more than a history lesson.” MET Studio and the wider design team deliberately moved away from a standard exhibition format, choosing instead to focus on unique and defining aspects of Singapore to show mythically as well as factually, how the region has been shaped and impacted on, over time. MET Studio was intrigued as to how the extreme climates play a part in defining the environment and so used weather and nature as vehicles to tell stories. Rain was both live and digitally created, landscapes and events are dramatised through POV films shown through the eyes of nature such as birds and rodents, natural rhythms of sun and storms create atmosphere, emotion and mood with animated dioramas combining physical actors with film and moving sets, bringing a sense of drama and energy. Brentford FC has appointed sports stadia catering market leaders Levy UK as its official food and hospitality partner for their new stadium. Having won a five-year contract to deliver a retail, hospitality and non-matchday catering vision, Levy UK has been brought onboard to help mobilise the food service operation across the brand new 17,250-seat Brentford Community Stadium. Brentford FC will be moving from their historic Griffin Park home at the start of the 2020/21 season. The stadium is part of a major regeneration project of the area known as Brentford East and once constructed the new stadium will be ready for both Premier League football and Premiership rugby with London Irish RFC also playing their home games in that part of West London. A focus on the local community will be top of Levy UK’s agenda with the stadium set to generate hundreds of jobs. Firm fan favourites will be part of the food and beverage offering as Levy UK engage with local suppliers and artisan producers to bring a taste of the local area. The customer journey has been considered and a range of new and future-proofed smart technologies will be installed to enhance the fan experience, through helping aide speed of service and introducing a cashless environment. The roll out of digital screens driven by a content management system will also help create a seamless retail experience. Levy UK’s hospitality and culinary experts have created a range of exclusive packages for the Club’s premium seats and will also be bringing their innovative food offering to the stadiums retail outlets where they will deliver a wide variety of menus , including plant-based dishes. Jon Varney, Brentford FC chief executive, said: “We want every aspect of our new home to be first class; with Levy on board I’m confident our matchday offering, whether in our premium lounges or on the concourses, will be second to none.” 07