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Paragon Opens in the South West

Paragon has appointed Alan Eyles to run it's brand new operation based in the South West of England.

Alan studied Set and Graphic Design in Plymouth before completing a Theatre Arts course in London in the mid 80’s. He is a founding partner of 'The Business Design Ltd’, an interior design company specialising in period renovation.

Over the last 10 years, Alan has worked with Paragon Creative on a number of projects in the UK, and on the delivery of the Louisville Royal Armouries Project as well as 'Hands on History'.

Alan now heads up Paragon’s development in the South West region.

alaneyles@fsmail.net
Tel: 01409 259460
Mobile: 07813 771742

M&S Props

Our props team pulled out the stops to produce a range of replica period pieces for the recent 150 anniversary exhibition for Marks and Spencer, items included; a 1950s TV set, a wooden till and a replica ‘melting moments’ chocolate pudding, yummy.

Angel of the South

What a suprise when a model white horse, which we created, appeared on the BBC evening news! The white horse is the model for the Angel of the South, a 32 million art commission for south east England designed by artist Mark Wallinger.

Marks Wallingers design for the public art commission will see a 33 times life size horse standing on all four hooves. Once built, the horse will dominate the Kent landscape stand as high as Nelsons Column at 164ft.

Wedgwood Museum Art Fund Prize

The new £10.5 million museum dedicated to the history of the 250 year old Wedgwood pottery company in Stoke on Trent has been awarded the 2009 Art Fund Prize for Museums and Galleries.
Paragon Creative is proud to have provided scenic tableaux, figurative, props, and display themed joinery for the  new museum. The interpretation designers were Ivor Heal Design Ltd.
The museum, designed by architects Hulme Upright Manning, contains internationally renowned collections of ceramics, art and manuscripts which not only document the life and role of Josiah Wedgwoods pottery firm but also British social, design and industrial heritage.

David Pottnam, chair of judges, said: “The Wedgwood Museum brilliantly highlights the marriage of art, design, manufacturing and commerce; a marriage that resonates more today than at possibly any time in the intervening years. In every respect it fully meets our criteria of what a 21st century museum should aspire to be.”
The Art Fund Prize, formerly known as the Gulbenkian Prize, recosgnises the most innovative cultural schemes across Britain.

Warwick Castle Dungeon

Paragon has been contracted to undertake the scenic and theming fit-out for this new member of the Merlin Dungeon family alongside the London, Amsterdam, York, Hamburg, and Edinburgh dungeons. Details are still closely under wraps and we are unable to release details on pain of death, but it will be truly horrible!

Bahrain Monument Museum

This world class Museum is a monument of international and regional significance at Sakhir to celebrate and commemorate the Bahraini people’s loyalty to King and Country.

This remarkable project encompasses a total area of 84,500 metres and is composed of a two storey circular museum building around a central pond and surrounded by a circular two-tiered arcade with freestanding feature walls radiating out. It also includes a 60m high sundial, an amphitheatre and a 12m high bronze fountain, parade ground and the eternal flare.

Paragon Creative is creating stunning interactives to represent pearl diving, pearl evaluation, Satellite Connections and Creature Environments. We are also creating an architectural model of the new Bahrain landscape and a decorative fish feature which also incorporates a simple yet effective AV effect.

Al Mahatta Museum

Air Arabia recently commissioned Paragon Creative Middle East to produce and install a temporary exhibition to both celebrate the museums 5th anniversary and to demonstrate the importance of Sharjah as a Middle East flight hub which has developed both through tourism and also religion. Since the 1930’s Sharjah has been associated with early passenger flights as an essential stop over and refuelling airport for all flights from the UK to India, Singapore and Australia. The opening of the New International Airport in Sharjah has seen it become Air Arabia’s base for flights throughout the Middle East and Asia; it also gained world wide significance for transporting the many thousands of Muslim pilgrims on their annual Hajj to Mecca.

The Sharjah’s Museums Department designed the exhibition that Paragon produced; the exhibition has been designed to have a special focus on the local historical importance of the airport which has succeeded in attracting not only tourists but also up to eight schools a day.

Atlantis Hotel

The relationship with the magnificent Atlantis and Paragon Creative Middle East LLC continues into the retail centre of the hotel. The commission was for 24 large and varied tropical fish which were suspended from the ceiling. One of the shops within the retail centre, Redemption Retail, also commissioned 3D fish to be mounted on a wave effect header board which ran around the entire shop edge as part of their final shop fit out.

Saw

Merlin commissioned Paragon Creative to undertake the theming for the World’s scariest ride…..Saw. Based on the Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures “Saw” franchise, the worlds first ever horror movie themed rollercoaster will roll into life in Spring 2009.

The new rollercoaster will test the nerve and stomachs of all the visitors who dare to ride it, they will be at the mercy of the series’ master manipulator, Jigsaw.

We are unable to release details about exactly what horrors the ride will throw at the visitor but needless to say, the workshop is currently not a place many of our team want to be in after dark!

Beaverbrooks

Paragon Creative was very proud to be involved in the successful opening of Beaverbrook’s London Flagship store. We were commissioned to create a bespoke 3D hanging garden which was suspended from the stores ceiling. The twisting and intertwining, white, metal floral displays were created in our York workshops and pieced together like a complex jigsaw puzzle on site. The completed result is simply stunning.

Depa and Paragon Partnership

We are proud to announce the partnership of Depa and Paragon Creative Ltd to form Paragon Creative Middle East LLC.

Depa is the World’s largest interior contractor, providing a complete range of high-end interior services and turnkey solutions. In 2008 Depa United Group became our MENA Partner acquiring 51% of Paragon Creative Middle East LLC.

Depa specializes in the full-scope turnkey fit-out and furnishing of five-star luxury hotels, yachts, apartments, and other fine private and public facilities in Dubai and around the world. Depa's superior portfolio of projects illustrates their skill in combining aesthetic and operational requirements to create the harmonious and complete results clients expect. Depa sets the standards of excellence in interior implementation.

The Depa's philosophy of offering excellence to their clients in a cost-effective and timely manner has made them the largest and most profitable interior contractor and specialist fit-out company in the World.

ISIS

Paragon Creative has been commissioned to create and construct a pair of identical models for ISIS, a company based in Didcot who provide pulsed neutron and muon energy to scientific and engineering communities. The aim of the models is to demonstrate the scale of the recently extended site facilities, the models will be constructed in a ‘cut away’ form which will demonstrate the process used to generate the neutrons and muons, as well as adding a 3D view of the site. The process of creating these energy forms will be shown by an animated sequence of LEDS which will be built into the base of the buildings and will replicate the actual sequence.

Darfur Scenic Village

Paragon Creative were commissioned to create a full size replica of a burnt out Darfur Village hut and surrounding area to be displayed for one day in Trafalgar Square as part of a Darfur awareness project by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). After its day in London, the village scene was packed up and transported to Manchester where it was on show at the Labour Party Conference.

The set works were designed to be shocking and disturbing and to draw attention to what the UN describe as the crisis in Darfur. The village scene consisted of charred remains of the hut and roof timbers, broken furniture and crockery and smashed clay water containers. A concealed smoke machine added wisps of smoke to heighten the effect. In addition, at Manchester, there was a child’s body under a bloodstained sheet.

Since the outbreak of violence in 2003, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 2.5 million have been left displaced, while some 250,000 refugees from Darfur live in 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad. The UN refugee agency has had a presence in Darfur since 2004, coordinating the humanitarian protection effort in Western Darfur and maintaining a regular presence in the many camps and settlements of internally displaced Darfurians.

The exhibit was a success with hundreds of people signing up to receive more information about the situation in Darfur and attracted world wide media including ABC, The Financial Times, ITV, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Times, CNN, BBC, Time Magazine, Miami Herald, Bloomberg, Al Arabia, NHK Japan, Al Jazeera, TVE, RA13, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, VOA France 24, The Independent, Spanish TVE, Al Hayat / LBC and the list went on…

Bank Negara Malaysia

The central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara has commissioned Paragon Creative to build and install a wide range of interactives in their new Kuala Lumpur Financial Museum and Art Gallery.

The interactives aim to inform visitors about complex issues, such as balancing rates of economic growth, managing the economy and controlling inflation in an engaging and informative way, others are aimed at a younger audience and involve designing bank notes using rubber stamps, making impressions of coins to spending a million Ringgits as quickly as possible!

 

 

Dover Castle Props

Paragon Creative was appointed as supplier for c. 12th high status props and other items for the Great Tower reinterpretation. The range of props varied from external banners, cooking utensils to alter crosses and silver bowls and even the Kings Crown.

Louisville Bow

Paragon Creative is proud to be producing an interactive long bow for the Royal Armouries US site in Louisville, Kentucky. The long bow will help illustrate the difficulties and skill required to hunt and fight in the past.

Neil Willis – SMC

We are working with a high profile cruise liner company to help its commissioned artists reproduce their work in materials which are light enough and practically suitable for a cruise ship. It has been a privilege to work with high profile artists such as Mr Neil Willis a prolific sculptor among others.

Dungeons Props

We have recently completed several new props for both the London and York Dungeons including a gruesome gibbet cage, some blood curdling decapitated monks heads and a pillaged monastery setting.

Little Company of Mary Heritage Centre

We are very excited to have been appointed as lead exhibition fit out contractor for the Little Company of Mary Heritage Centre in Nottingham. The vision for the heritage centre goes far beyond telling the story of Mary Potter, a remarkable woman who founded an order of sisters. It aims to represent the spirituality of the Little Company of Mary, today and through history: to be a space dedicated to its understanding and contemplation

Burns Metal Work – Interactives and Models

We were delighted to be informed that we are the lead contractor for the metal work, interactives and model elements of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. The historic site aims to tell the life story and inspirations for Robert Burns poetry throughout his life.

Henry VIII Dressed to Kill

Paragon Commences the Fit-Out of ‘Dressed to Kill’. 2009 marks the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII’s accession to the English throne. For the first time in modern history, Royal Armouries and Historic Royal Palaces will bring together the amour and weapons of Henry VIII in the place where it all began – the Tower of London.

Throughout his life, arms and armour were central to Henry VIII’s existence, both as an individual and monarch, as he moved England towards a greater role on the European (and eventually world) stage.

The Royal Armouries possesses the world’s greatest collection of objects personally owned by Henry VIII and the best collection of Tudor arms and armour in the world. This stunning collection will be enhanced further, for this exhibition, with objects borrowed from a range of owners including Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Musee de l’Armee, Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Wilderspin School

Queen Street School is one of the most important schools in England and is currently being restored by the Queen Street School Preservation Trust. Built in 1844, it is unique due to its association with Samuel Wilderspin, the educational pioneer. Wilderspin helped design and fit out Queen Street School and used it as a model to demonstrate principles of modern enlightened education for infants. The school is the only purpose built Wilderspin School still in existence. The school closed its academic doors in 1978 but it is now being funded to reopen as a heritage centre featuring a re-creation of a 1845 infant school room and playground which will contrast starkly against a traditional Victorian classroom. Paragon Creatives involvement in the project includes Fit Out, Props, Theming, Interactives and AV installations.

Aqua Adventure at the Atlantis Hotel

The Atlantis Water Park in The Palm, Dubai has commissioned Paragon Creative Middle East to undertake the theming for the under cover areas within the attraction.

The huge canopies are supported by 187 steel columns. The design brief was to incorporate a fish scale design, so each column was vertically clad with thousands of individually sculpted fish scales which were then finished in an antique bronze paint effect, the columns were elegantly topped with themed collars, which were original sculptures which were moulded then cast and laminated.

The columns varied in size from 6.5m – 4.25m high which meant lots of different moulds and casts had to be taken to ensure an identical finish.

The under cover areas provide relief from the intense Dubai sunshine and cover the catering outlets, car parking and a walk way from the Atlantis metro station into the centre of the water park, this walk way alone is 400m in length.

The Atlantis is Dubai’s newest water park and is based next to the Atlantis hotel (yes, the one Kylie performed a private concert for its opening!), it features a 30m tall water slide called the ziggurat, a 700m beach and a 2.5km tidal river which takes the visitor through high intensity rapids which circumnavigate a lush tropical environment.

Istanbul

Paragon Creative have been appointed as the lead fit out and interactive team for the new Istanbul Aquarium in Florya. This new build aquarium is stunningly located on the edge of the Bosphorous sea which the modern design of the building fully exploits for amazing sea views. Ice walls, giant globes and life size ship wrecks are just a few of the exciting environments that will be recreated throughout 2009.

Paragons brief is to ensure that the new aquarium is not only aesthetically amazing but that visitors also learn and are engaged with the collection and its messages about Turkey, Istanbul and the environment.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not

For 90 years, the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! brand has been synonymous with all that is weird and bizarre. In August 2008, a new ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not!’ opened its doors to the public. The famous American exhibition of the odd and unusual occupies 25,000 square feet of the Trocadero in Piccadilly Circus, spreads over five floors it’s one of London’s new must see tourist destinations. Paragon Creative were commissioned to fit-out, theme and create all the Interactives and Showcases for this amazing exhibition including shrunken heads, Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, the worlds fattest man, a tongue twisting mirror and even bringing back to life the deceased Mr Ripley!

Tower of London

After its successful first year, the ‘Hands on History’ exhibition in the White Tower at the Tower of London reopened in July with new and enhanced interactive displays aimed at encouraging visitors to literally get to grips with (replica) artefacts including swords and armour inspired by the existing collection held at the Royal Armouries. The aim of the new hands on exhibition is to encourage visitors to literally get a grasp on their heritage, the interactives Paragon Creative have designed, manufactured and installed include the opportunity to see what a medieval jouster would have seen (or not!) through the visor of his helmet and the opportunity to draw a medieval bow and compare your strength against a master bowman of the day. This exciting highly interactive exhibition allows visitors to fully understand that perhaps warfare was not as simple as it seems in the movies!

Transport for London

Transport for London requested we produce a full scale reproduction of an Underground Station complete with a transition to an over ground environment installed within the Transport for London offices at Ashfield House, West Kensington. Third Floor.

The purpose of this highly complex installation was to train Transport for London personnel so they are fully prepared for any eventuality.

The set works consisted of a fully dressed Station Platform, the track and sleepers complete with a trompe l’oeil ‘suicide pit’, a tunnel mouth and an underground train cab simulator in the Tunnel. There are interactive elements throughout the area to aid the training process. The rail points moved, the platform shakes and rumbles as the train approaches, the signals change, lights flash to give the impression of the train arriving at the platform and concealed fans blow the customary blast of air from the tunnel onto the platform. The cab is a functioning simulator, telephones in the cab work, the driver can speak to the passengers in the saloon via loudspeakers, alarms sound and the driver views a real-time controllable journey through the underground via video projected onto a back projection screen in the window in front of them. There is a detrainment ramp built into the front of the train to aid emergency evacuation training.

To complete the illusion of a real station, the corridor approaching the platform is dressed to look like the ticket office with a ticket window, ticket barriers and an oyster card reader.