Gold, The Cup International Advertising Award
Gold, iF communication design award 2007
Silver, EVA 2007
Silver, ADC Deutschland 2007
Silver, Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2009
Nominee, Cannes Lions 2007
Merit Award, One Show Design Award 2007
Grand Prix, DDC-Preis Gute Gestaltung 2008
14. ITVA Festival Special Award 2006
Nominee, The Cup International Advertising Award 2007
A 45-minute light and media display transformed the skyline of the city of Frankfurt into an oversized stage for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. More than 500 images projected onto eight skyscrapers brought the history of the World Cup to life. Sadness, euphoria, happiness: in eleven acts, the “SkyArena” led through great football emotions. The images were complemented by specially composed music as well as sound documents and effects to create a captivating production.
To create a highly frequented and media-effective production with memorable and emotional added value.
A staging in a public space featuring large images, graphics and music to tell the emotions of football.
Concept, design, planning, realisation
The SkyArena was the spectacular opening event for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, transforming the city centre on the Main into the secret capital of the most beautiful weeks of the year even before kick-off. The screen took up a total of 10,000 square metres on the skyline. This was the equivalent of two football fields. The individual images reached a size of up to 1,600 square metres. 40 of the 50 high-performance projectors available worldwide projected the images from the roofs of the buildings opposite onto the high-rise façades. Façade climbers prepared the glass façades in advance with foil.
“When the skyline merges with the lighting, the images, the graphics and the specially composed soundtrack, the overall effect takes the fascination of football to a whole new level.“
“The whole of human life can be found in football. More than almost any other sport, football triggers emotions that unite people from different nations and backgrounds. One world – one game.“
Stefan Weil
Managing CCO of Atelier Markgraph
and creative lead of the project
The evening “theatre play“ above the roof tops of Frankfurt created a La Ola of the great emotions of football in eleven acts. The emotions of football: hope, pride, ambition, cheerfulness, toughness, respect, joy, madness, sadness, euphoria and happiness: Emotions United. The dramaturgy and imagery combine celebrated idols, decisive match scenes, famous goals and legendary duels to create ever new stories.
Unforgettable scenes and legendary heroes of past world championships were shown high above the heads of the visitors. The thrill of the images was accompanied by a specially composed soundtrack played by the hr symphony orchestra and the hr big band. The countdown culminated in the football anthem “You'll Never Walk Alone“, sung live by Cassandra Steen in the middle of the audience on the Untermainbrücke.
A simple but effective technique brought the originally static images to life: the slides were transported through the projectors on film strips. This created horizontal movements reminiscent of films. The recorded façades seemed to interact with each other like players on a football field. Crossing passes “flew” from one tower block to the next. The images on the skyscraper walls lit up and disappeared again in rapid succession, taking on the tempo of a football match.
182 television stations broadcasted the light and media spectacle on the Frankfurt bank towers to more than 100 countries. In Germany itself, 3 million people watched the production on television at home. Around one million spectators witnessed the “Miracle on the Main” on the city's streets and bridges. A once-in-a-century event, according to World Cup OC boss Franz Beckenbauer: “I've seen a lot, but this really is a show.”
Gold, The Cup International Advertising Award
Gold, iF communication design award 2007
Silver, EVA 2007
Silver, ADC Deutschland 2007
Silver, Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2009
Nominee, Cannes Lions 2007
Merit Award, One Show Design Award 2007
Grand Prix, DDC-Preis Gute Gestaltung 2008
14. ITVA Festival Special Award 2006
Nominee, The Cup International Advertising Award 2007