Largest Architectural Relief Sculpture Made Primarily from Polystyrene
Record Holder
Metric
Date Achieved
Location
Atlas Record ID
Dr. Wissam Jawdat Al Akkawi / Atrium Architecture
8 meters high, 7.95 meters wide, 1.5 meters deep
2 July 2026
Sharjah [United Arab Emirates]
20426057
Dr. Wissam Jawdat Al Akkawi and Atrium Architecture created a monumental polystyrene bas-relief sculpture honoring Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. The sculpture combines portraiture, architectural installation, and national symbolism, including a falcon representing the UAE’s ambition, courage, vision, and strength.
Transparent Adjudicator's Statement
Summary of Claim
Atlas World Records reviewed a claim for the Largest Architectural Relief Sculpture Made Primarily from Polystyrene, based on the physical dimensions, material composition, construction method, and photographic and video evidence submitted by the claimant. The claimant reported that the monument was created using white polystyrene blocks, reinforced through structural steel support elements, coated with cement mixed with polymer material, and finished with natural stone colors, anti-UV water-based paint, and a transparent protective primer.
Evidence Submitted
Evidence submitted included extensive photographic documentation showing the sculpture at multiple stages of development, including early foam carving, facial sculpting, workshop progress, outdoor installation, scaffold-supported assembly, coating, painting, night lighting, and final presentation. The claimant also provided construction details, dimensions, material specifications, estimated volume and weight calculations, installation descriptions, and an archive of short video files documenting the project’s fabrication and installation process.
The submitted narrative materials also included the creator’s explanation of the project’s purpose: a message of gratitude to the UAE and a tribute to three leaders whose legacies represent vision, determination, modernization, education, culture, Islamic values, family traditions, unity, strength, and continuity.
Comparative and Cross-Archive Benchmark Review
Atlas World Records cross referenced the publicly available records at all major world record organizations and reviewed public claims involving large-scale polystyrene sculpture, foam sculpture, bas-relief sculpture, and architectural relief sculpture.
As part of that review, Atlas World Records identified a publicly listed benchmark for a large polystyrene sculpture achieved by Red Sea Mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2012. That sculpture measured 18.4 meters in length, 4.5 meters in width, and 13 meters in height, and is described as a ship-shaped polystyrene sculpture. Because that benchmark concerns a freestanding sculptural object rather than a wall-mounted architectural relief, it was considered relevant for material comparison but not directly equivalent to the present claim.
The submitted UAE work is materially and structurally distinct. It is a polystyrene architectural relief sculpture integrated into a building façade, with portrait figures, mountain-form relief, and a falcon projecting from a fixed background surface. Atlas World Records found no larger publicly documented polystyrene architectural relief sculpture or polystyrene bas-relief sculpture exceeding the submitted work’s measured scale of approximately 8 meters in height, 7.95 meters in width, and up to 1.5 meters in relief depth.
On that basis, Atlas World Records recognizes this achievement under the specific and materially appropriate title Largest Architectural Relief Sculpture Made Primarily from Polystyrene.
Verification Methodology
Atlas World Records reviewed the submitted measurement information, material specifications, construction explanation, photographic evidence, and available video archive. The review focused on confirming that the work was a three-dimensional bas-relief sculpture rather than a flat mural; that polystyrene was the primary core sculptural material; that the sculpture was installed as a completed architectural artwork; and that the submitted dimensions supported the claimed scale.
The adjudication also considered the reported construction method, including the use of 24 polystyrene blocks, a steel support platform and reinforcement system, foam adhesive, steel wire attachment, three cement-polymer coating layers, anti-UV water-based paint, and transparent protective primer. The photographic record was used to confirm continuity from raw polystyrene carving through finished installation.
Adjudication Findings
Atlas World Records finds that the submitted evidence supports the claim that Dr. Wissam Jawdat Al Akkawi, Fiesta Holding, and Atrium Architecture created a monumental polystyrene bas-relief sculpture of exceptional scale. The submitted materials demonstrate that the sculpture was fabricated from polystyrene, shaped into large-scale relief portraiture, installed into an architectural setting, and finished to resemble carved stone.
The adjudicator further finds that the work carries clear cultural and symbolic intent, honoring Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, with the falcon serving as a national symbol of ambition, courage, precision, and vision.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence submitted and the verification review performed, Atlas World Records certifies Dr. Wissam Jawdat Al Akkawi / Atrium Architecture for achieving the record title:
Largest Architectural Relief Sculpture Made Primarily from Polystyrene
This record recognizes both the measurable scale of the sculpture and the technical accomplishment of creating, reinforcing, finishing, and installing a large-scale polystyrene architectural relief in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
