ES Projects provides project management, project development & implementation, consultancy and a main contractor service for projects within the business sectors of culture, media and sports. ES Projects delivers a diverse range of project types including venue provision & fit out, event implementation & direction and interactive installations. ES Projects work with world renowned Designers, Architects and Engineers.
ES Projects is employed as a ‘delivery’ partner’ to collaborate with clients and assist them in realising their creative vision. The primary skills utilised are project planning, project execution and monitoring, management and support of the design process, budget control, supplier and sub contractor management.
ES Projects and the ES Group have extensive experience and a proven track record of delivering challenging projects on a global basis. The ES Group is supported by an extensive network of contacts and trusted quality suppliers. Our underlying ethos is a ‘can do’ attitude that will take on difficult designs, tough deadlines and logistical challenges for highly demanding clients.
<@>Bureau Veritas ISO 9001<@>ES Projects have achieved ISO 9001 for Quality Management Systems, a certification recognised worldwide as a symbol of excellence. ISO 9001 demonstrates ES Project's achievement and continued commitment to conduct the business in a thoroughly professional and consistent manner.
/images/theme_1/image_1256910480.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256910480.pdf<@>The Wine Tower
/images/theme_1/image_1256916112.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256916112.pdf<@>David Beckham Football Academy
/images/theme_1/image_1256910314.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256910314.pdf<@>Southwark One Stop Shop
/images/theme_1/image_1256910403.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256910403.pdf<@>THFC Training Academy
/images/theme_1/image_1256910143.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256910143.pdf<@>Chanel Mobile Art
/images/theme_1/image_1256910237.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256910237.pdf<@>Hands On Architecture
/images/theme_1/image_1256909477.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256909477.pdf<@>3i Waterloo Road
/images/theme_1/image_1256909575.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256909575.pdf<@>Arts Alliance Pavilion
/images/theme_1/image_1256909624.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256909624.pdf<@>The Belgrade B2 Theatre
/images/theme_1/image_1256916636.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256916636.pdf<@>Demountable Super Yacht Containment
/images/theme_1/image_1256916709.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256916709.pdf<@>Ford Goodwood Festival of Speed
/images/theme_1/image_1256916783.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256916783.pdf<@>2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games
/images/theme_1/image_1256916843.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256916843.pdf<@>Mercedes Goodwood Festival of Speed
/images/theme_1/image_1256917045.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256917045.pdf<@>Orange Touring Pavilion
/images/theme_1/image_1256917374.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1256917374.pdf<@>Royal Military Tattoo 2000
/images/theme_1/image_1262865343.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1262865342.pdf<@>Chanel Mobile Art
/images/theme_1/image_1262865396.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1262865396.pdf<@>David Beckham Football Academy
/images/theme_1/image_1262865439.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1262865439.pdf<@>3i Waterloo Road
/images/theme_1/image_1262865511.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1262865511.pdf<@>Skyscape
/images/theme_1/image_1262865598.jpg<@>/files/client_1/upload_1262865598.pdf<@>Southwark One Stop Shop
Karl Lagerfeld collaborated with architect Zaha Hadid to develop an event to mark the 50th year of the Chanel handbag. Chanel Mobile Art was conceptualized as a touring contemporary art exhibition celebrating the iconic Chanel handbag.
The main challenge ES Projects faced with this project was the practical realisation of the Lagerfeld, Hadid vision and the constant struggle between aesthetics and practicality. Hadid is known for daringly curvaceous highly futuristic designs, most of them remaining on the drawing board for years, until the building professions can catch up with her prodigious imagination.
ES Projects was contracted to manage the Design and Build process, and to tour and install the structure on behalf of Chanel in Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York.
The contract was agreed in June 2007 giving ES Projects 7 months before it was to be constructed on top of the Star Ferry multi-storey car park, Hong Kong. While the creative vision had been developed, a feasible design was a long way from complete. To overcome the complexities of the design, a new material was developed from which 300 unique, torqued, plastic components were moulded, from which the structure was built.
As well as accurately realizing the creative vision, developing a wholly tourable entity provided an environmental and sustainable solution to the design brief. The pavilion’s transient nature renders it wholly sustainable and continually reusable within the life of its components.
Iconic sites were selected in each city to complement the brand however, their prominent locations inevitably created logistical complications. In Hong Kong the pavilion was built on top of the Star Ferry Car Park, which had to be shored-up to support the 700 tonne structure, and all the plant required for the build had to be craned onto the car park roof. In New York, the Pavilion was constructed in Central Park, which saw numerous restrictions including the hours the site could be accessed and the types of vehicles that could be used.
Due to the short lead time of the project, considering the numerous design requirements, the design was scheduled on a “just in time” basis planned in reverse based on the construction, delivery and manufacture sequencing. Consequently, long lead time and early construction items were prioritized in the design process. In addition, key personnel were seconded onto the design team to ensure a feasible design and the smooth transfer of information from design to construction phase.
The Pavilion opened in Hong Kong in February 2008 before moving onto Yoyogi Park, Tokyo in May 2008 and Central Park, New York in October 2008. The Pavilion was designed and built, to the client’s specification, as a demountable structure, and all the components were designed and built to travel in 70 ISO-sized shipping containers. The pavilion attracted 100,000 visitors in its world tour and received prolific media coverage.
Images John Linden
Project Overview Chanel Mobile Art is a touring contemporary art exhibition that celebrates the iconic Chanel handbag. The exhibition is housed in the Chanel Pavilion designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.
ES Group’s Role ES Projects was contracted to manage the manufacture and delivery of the Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion and its contents. ES Projects was also contracted to tour the entity on behalf of Chanel.
Project Title Chanel Mobile Art
Client Chanel SAS
Architect Zaha Hadid Architects
Engineers Arup
Location Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York
Project Value £ 20 million+
Project Duration 3 years
Project Completion July, 2010
Floor Area 1,200m²
Build Period 4 weeks
Dismantling Period 2 weeks
Construction FRP, ETFE, PVC, Steel, HVAC, Power, Lighting, Services, Fit Out and Art Exhibits
The pavilion’s footprint is approximately 50m by 30m with a maximum height of 7m. The structure is roughly ovoid and curved in appearance with a ramped terrace attached. There is an ancillary structure adjoining the terrace which serves as a ticket office and control room. There are ETFE skylights of varying shapes and sizes in the roof.
The outer cladding of the building is a combination of FRP, PVC, ETFE, and glass. Each FRP panel is unique and is formed from an individual mould cut from foam on a five axis CNC machine. The specification of the FRP cladding was developed by the design team and manufactured by ES Group’s appointed sub contractor. The interior walls and ceilings are lined with a bespoke thermal liner which is covered by a tensioned fabric retained by plywood formers. The composite was designed and fixed together in a manner that was specifically developed for this project.
The construction methodology adopted combined fast track techniques with more conventional disciplines. A modular staging ‘deck’ was used for the base structure utilising ESS system decking with two substantial ring beams inset. The centre of the building is a courtyard surrounded by a structural, inclined steel wall. It is topped off by a steel ‘lid’ containing the ETFE sky-lights and guttering. The outer, more substantial, area of the building curls round the courtyard and is formed by curved steel members. In order to achieve the bizarre profiles, these main beams were fabricated from laser cut plate steel and then made up into bespoke I-beams.
The mechanical supply includes electrical generators and a full HVAC system with both cooling, heating and humidity control. The lighting system includes spotlights mounted into a sunken track system and a computerised LED system, both in and outside the building. Smoke detection, emergency systems, CCTV and communication connectivity are also included. The pavilion has a hydraulic emergency ‘hatch-like’ door and a ramp leading up to the entrance. Local ‘city specific’ signage and emergency systems have to be continually adapted to conform to local regulations.
The content of the pavilion is bespoke, having been designed and manufactured to both fit into and define the interior of the pavilion. The visitor undertakes a ‘journey’ through the interior guided by an audio tour.
The build time allowed for the building and the fitting out of the pavilion is 28 days, from starting on site to handover to the client. The time allowed for dismantling the pavilion is 14 days. ES Group provides the pavilion for Chanel in each city on a turnkey basis. To date the pavilion has been built and the exhibition taken place in Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York.
Prior to being formally appointed, ES Group was invited to attend some Mobile Art Design Team meetings, with Arup and Zaha Hadid Architects, in order to make some preliminary comments. ES Group was subsequently appointed and charged with developing the design into a working 3-D model and driving the manufacturing process. The design was in early concept phase when ES Group began work on the project and consequently all detailed scope and specifications had to be developed by the team.
The architects’ design for the pavilion was delivered as a ‘Rhino’ File plus visuals. A 3-D steelwork model was created by ES Group. Individual elements were designed in conjunction with and approved by Arup. At the same time the cladding was developed by ‘cutting’ the rhino surfaces into 3-D AutoCAD panels. The panels had to be detailed including returns and fixings and the whole package approved by both Arup and ZHA. The panel files were then processed into software that drove the CNC machines. All elements were sent for fabrication as soon as they were approved in order to stay on schedule. The process outlined above involved a considerable amount of expertise and innovation given the extraordinary nature of the design and limited time available.
The critical path for manufacturing and construction was established by the project management and design team and the design was then addressed in the order of priority that was required to meet the detailed programme. As usual, certain design decisions were made in order to precipitate the construction process. For example, the FRP production time scale had the longest manufacturing time and therefore the panels had to go into production well before the steelwork or fixing methodology had been finalised.
The Chanel Mobile Art pavilion was a ‘cost plus’ contract against a predicted initial budget. The contract was run on an ‘open book’ basis and was audited by the Chanel Accounts team and Davis Langdon on a monthly basis. Predicted cost variations were regularly reported to client for approval.
Largely the supply chain was selected on ability to deliver the specification within timescale. Commercial value was assessed by competitive tender wherever practical and if not by negotiated contract. The FRP contract was placed after a lengthy, rigorous process led by cost versus specification. There was considerable debate over fire compliance given that it had to meet different regulations in seven cities across three continents. A quality control protocol was established with all concerned which has proved highly successful.
Rapid selection of suppliers and their integration into the design phase early in the process is a critical requirement for a fast track project of this type. This approach was adopted for all the major sub contracted packages. Whilst the design was specific to this structure, all the detailing was based on ‘standard’ approach design and principles that had been used before.
Cost management was owned by the ES Group Project Manager, and supported by the internal accounts department, and the performance of this was reviewed weekly and formally reported four-weekly. Contracted elements were managed via sub-contracts and a procurement plan and labour via automated time-sheeting.
The Mobile Art Pavilion is designed and purpose built to client requirement as a demountable structure, the steel modules, connections, FRP paneling, M&E and all components are designed and constructed to travel in 70 ISO- sized shipping containers. The transient nature of the whole has the effect of rendering it sustainable in that it is continually reusable within the life of its components.
Due to the short duration of the project and the limited design detail provided, the approach taken was to schedule the detailed design on a “just in time” basis which was planned in reverse based on the construction, delivery and manufacture sequencing. Consequently, long lead and early construction items were prioritised in the design process. In addition the key construction personnel were seconded onto the design team to ensure a constructible design and the smooth transfer of information from design to construction phase.
Progress monitoring was crucial to ensure a timely delivery and, therefore, the Project Manager formally reviewed the schedule and risk register on a weekly basis with the design and construction teams. As the programme was critical the client was kept informed of progress through a formal weekly report.
Due to the fast track nature of this project it was crucial to ensure selected suppliers had a proven track record of timely delivery as well as being able to demonstrate commercial value and product/service quality.
ES Group has built good working relationships over several years and on many projects with a broad range of suppliers and employed an integrated approach on this project to ensure timely delivery, efficient design and manufacture along with transparency of costs. The selection of suppliers was based on their ability to supply the specification at the best quality and cost, and their capacity to produce within the timescale stipulated. Performance and cost management were managed via weekly meetings and four-weekly budget reporting.
Arts Alliance approached ES Projects for a touring pavilion to house their cinematic based art exhibit, employing five wide cinema screens. The intention was to tour world centres over a three year period. The exhibit is based on a futuristic, inflatable structure.
ES Projects was contracted by Arts Alliance to work with the appointed design team to provide a detailed feasibility report and costing for the project. The client is currently structuring funding.
Images Various Architects AS
Project Overview Arts Alliance approached ES Projects for a touring pavilion to house their cinematic based art exhibit, employing five wide cinema screens. The intention was to tour world centres over a three year period. The exhibit is based on a futuristic, inflatable structure.
ES Group’s Role ES Projects was contracted by Arts Alliance to work with the appointed design team to provide a detailed feasibility report and costing for the project. The client is currently structuring funding.
Client Arts Alliance
Architect Various Architects
Engineers Ramboll WhitbyBird
Location Worldwide Tour
Project Value £4 million+
Project Duration 3 years+
Floor Area 3,700m²
Build Period 2 weeks
Dismantling Period 8 days
Construction Inflatable PVC, Cable Net, Steel Truss, Modular Flooring, Lighting and Services
Europe’s tallest wine tower, standing at a staggering 15 metres, has been unveiled as the centre piece of the new Radisson Blu Hotel at Zurich Airport. The innovative installation was the focal point of the recent grand opening ceremony.
ES Projects designed, built and commissioned this magnificent structure with the support of specialist sub-contractor Stage One who installed and commissioned key features such as the LED lighting and Angel flying winches. ES Projects called on its experience in the events industry to provide training and choreography for the ‘Wine Angels’.
The wine tower is a steel framed, glass clad structure designed to act as a vertical four sided temperature controlled wine cellar, operated in full view of the hotel guests and bar customers. The total capacity of the tower is 3,840 bottles. Wine bottles are stored in specially designed racks providing microclimate areas that maintain the correct temperatures for the red and white wines as well as comfort cooling for the ‘Wine Angels’ and operators.
‘Wine Angels’ equipped with flying harnesses perform acrobatic routines to music and automated lighting sequences as they ascend the tower to retrieve the wine bottles. The winches that raise and lower the angels are controlled at an operator station located within the tower at ground level. The lighting sequences are specific to each bottle and as such also guide the angel to the correct bottle.
The LED lighting used to provide the lighting sequences, consists of over 800 HexaPix; a unique media server to pixel software product that was developed by Stage One in house and controlled by the company’s Qmotion® control system.
In order to provide the precise, controlled flying required to deliver the ‘Wine Angel’ to the correct bottle, Stage One supplied an automation package specially developed to enable their NextQ software to directly control the winch positioning drives.
Even though the project time frame was reduced by three weeks to ensure completion before Christmas, ES Projects delivered on time and to budget.
Other key sub-contractors include Adam Basset, Lighting Designer; Momentum; Richard Sinclair, Sound Designer; Jeremy Thom, Designer; Peter Roberts, M&E Designer; Unusual Rigging; Optima Glass; Alpha Electricals; Wrights Plastics; Total Air Systems and Sheetfabs.
Images Benjamin ReusserProject Overview Rezidor wanted a Wine Tower for their new hotel that was being built in Stansted Airport. The hotel required an interesting central feature for the lobby of the hotel. A second Wine Tower opened at theRadisson Hotel, Zurich in December 2008.
ES Group’s Role ES Projects was contracted by Rezidor to design and build the Wine Tower. ES Projects was also contracted to devise a training programme and assist in recruiting the Wine Angels who now operate the show.
Project Title The Wine Tower
Client Rezidor Hotels
Designer Jeremy Thom
Engineers Buro Happold
Location London, UK and Zurich, Switzerland
Project Value £1 million
Project Duration 6 months
Project Completion December, 2008
Floor Area 25m²
Build Period 8 weeks
Construction Glass, Steel Truss, Acrylics, Winches, HVAC and Services
ES Projects worked in collaboration with Foster + Partners and Buro Happold to design and deliver an installation as part of the 2008 London Festival of Architecture. The installation was required for one day in Exhibition Road, Central London.
ES Projects was the Main Contractor and also contributed with design input and expertise in the installation and dismantling. The period of time available for the installation was three hours.
Images Buro Happold and Richard Davies
Project Overview Working in collaboration with Foster + Partners and Buro Happold to design and deliver an installation as part of the 2008 London Festival of Architecture. The installation was required for one day in Exhibition Road in Central London.
ES Group’s Role ES Group was the Main Contractor and also contributed with design input and expertise in the installation and dismantling. The period of time available for the installation was three hours.
Project Title Hands On Architecture
Client London Festival of Architecture
Architect Foster + Partners
Engineers Buro Happold
Location London, UK
Project Value All contributions donated free
Project Duration 2 months
Project Completion June, 2008
External Footprint Area 100 m²
Build Period 3 hours
Dismantling Period 3 hours
Construction Aluminium truss, rope net, fabric panels, lights, smoke machine and sound system.