ADN – The Engineering Behind a Giant Structure

NEW IN 2025

A Dive into the Behind-the-Scenes of a Technical and Artistic Feat

ADN – Vertical Odyssey is an extraordinary creation—an electro-hip-hop opera performed 40 meters above the ground, combining live and recorded music, circus performance, vertical dance, and monumental scenography. This inhabited sculpture, featuring 16 performers, is a technical tour de force. Suspended from a 200-ton crane, this new creation by Transe Express stands at the crossroads of circus, light, and engineering. Let’s take a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes of this monumental work…

ADN: Beyond Traditional Performance

ADN transcends the boundaries of traditional performance. Each show is a total immersion. Transe Express redefines the limits of aerial art, blending engineering, performance, and scenographic innovation. A truly dizzying experience, ADN immerses the audience in a world where height, music, and light merge. With this new creation, Transe Express takes a major leap forward.

The Birth of the Project

Unlike the company’s previous shows, ADN does not rely on expansive deployment but instead explores immersive verticality and visual lightness. While the Cristal Palace chandelier featured a massive structure, ADN plays with transparency and light, creating the illusion of a floating object. Its openwork design produces a metallic lace effect that, once illuminated, appears to hover in the night sky—a challenge both artistic and technical.

The ADN adventure began in the midst of the COVID pandemic. In a world at a standstill, the opportunity arose to rethink scenographic approaches. The initial ambition was not to build Transe Express’s largest structure, but to explore vertigo, height effects, and transparency. ADN needed to be imposing without being overwhelming.

Three Years of Design for an Unprecedented Suspended Structure

A project of this scale doesn’t happen overnight. ADN required three years of work, combining design, testing, and construction. The process followed a step-by-step approach. It all started with a 40 cm model, which allowed the team to test balance and initial constraints.

Next, a full-scale module was built to assess the structure’s final appearance and address unexpected challenges. For example, each initial weld caused twists that had to be corrected. A precise protocol was established to ensure the structure’s perfect alignment, the finesse of its beams, and the control of metal deformations. Unique components were then designed, created, and assembled.

After constructing and refining the first 20-meter section, the full structure finally took shape, with a team of four to five welders bringing it to life. Each phase helped refine the structure and resolve technical challenges until the final assembly.

And Then There Was Light

Once the structure was in place, another challenge awaited the teams: illuminating ADN without visible light sources. Once again, ingenuity and innovation were key. Unlike previous Transe Express creations, ADN requires no external projectors. Instead, 500 meters of LED strips are seamlessly integrated within the structure, hidden within its beams. Each light source is concealed and controlled from a central console, allowing synchronization with the music. The result? A fluid light choreography that follows the rhythm of the performance.

At nightfall, the structure glows from within, seemingly radiating its own light. A ballet of illumination, teetering between engineering and illusion. As a result, the metal frame disappears, giving way to a constellation of lights—a truly unique visual signature.

Safety at 40 Meters Above Ground

ADN could not exist without rigorous safety measures for both the performers on the structure and the audience below. Suspending acrobats and musicians at such heights requires meticulous risk management. Every structural component is designed to prevent failure: if an attachment point were to give way, a secondary system would take over.

Performers are securely harnessed at all times, equipped with safety harnesses and lanyards. Even their instruments are secured—drums and drumsticks are fastened to prevent accidental drops, and every connection is doubled for extra security. Every detail has been carefully planned to balance freedom of movement with absolute protection.

Precision Assembly & Optimized Logistics

ADN was designed for rapid transportation and setup. The entire structure fits into a single truck, folded within a custom metal rack that can be handled directly by the crane. Around twenty technicians oversee the assembly, which can be completed in less than two hours, while disassembly takes just one hour. This time efficiency allows the show to adapt to different locations without major logistical constraints.

A Monument of Precision and Emotion

Thanks to precise engineering, ADN is not just a technical masterpiece—it is an immersive spectacle, ready to travel the world.

So, are you ready for the thrill?

To explore more behind-the-scenes insights, follow us at www.transe-express.com and on our social media channels for upcoming reveals.