ChangeNOW summit 2020

The changeNOW Summit initiative promotes projects and innovations that combat climate change. To highlight the importance of the issues supported by the initiative, the organiser took the bold step of organising its annual event in a symbolic location: the Grand Palais.

To make an impression in such a large venue, the set design focused on three key elements: the entrance arch, the central totem pole and the main stage.

A multicoloured bamboo arch welcomes visitors and engages them from the outset as full participants in the event. It opens onto a central space, into which a planet emerges like a precious symbolic totem. Hanging like a medallion and surrounded by a brass orb, it provides a meeting point where participants and speakers come together to share ideas.

Wood is used throughout the space. Solid wood – whether recyclable, raw, painted or recomposed – gives the event an overall coherence and creates a warm atmosphere within the large expanse of the Grand Palais.

On the main stage, the material is kept in its raw state. A set of slats creates a large, light, openwork structure. In the lower part, a white flat surface is spread out over the floor and part of the stage backdrop, creating a graphic hill that a silhouetted figure climbs step by step. To either side, vertical structures in wood and tulle hide the technical equipment and create more intimacy for this open stage in the heart of the nave.

For all the thematic areas, graphic signage totems are placed in the centre of each space and participatory installations have been created, with volunteers on hand to explain the themes.