ARCHITECTURE AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI | ITALY PAVILION

Expo 2020 is a host to some of the most exciting country pavilions marked by unique and stellar architecture representing each nation’s legacy and vision of the future.

Architect: Carlo Ratti, Italo Rota, Matteo Gatto and F&M
Location: Al Forsan
Area: 3,500 square meters
Structure: The roof consists of three large “hulls” made with the contribution of Fincantieri. The hulls, coated with paints of Gruppo Boero, constitute the largest Italian tricolour in the world. The Pavilion’s external encircling perimeter is made of tightly tied ropes of recycled material (plastic and PET) containing LED lights that, at night-time, light up the façade and make it interactive.
Material: Algae, boats and steel beams, coffee, Sicis gold and Murano glass tesserae, a total of more than 40 plant species, LED light, nautical ropes, orange peels, paints, sand, water and wood.

The Italy Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai uses architecture for a creative and innovative presentation of “beauty that connects people”. The project sees the involvement of Carlo Ratti, Italo Rota, Matteo Gatto and F&M Ingegneria.

Visitors at the Italy Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Expo 2020 Dubai)
Visitors at the Italy Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The voyage of discovery – The concept design of the Italy Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai was developed by the Rampello & Partners studio with the aim of offering visitors a journey to discover Italian excellence, a “garden of stories”, a synthesis of different elements that together they create a language of balance and harmony, a projection of the order of the universe. The cultural contents proposed within the Pavilion are therefore not exclusively attributable to the world of art, museums, galleries or institutions but also and above all constitute a social story of know-how, imagination and projection of future scenarios.
The architectural competition of the Italian Pavilion was won by the project by Carlo Ratti and Italo Rota, it includes an area of 3,500 square meters and is highly recognizable thanks to the roof consisting of three large “hulls” made with the contribution of Fincantieri. The hulls, coated with paints of Gruppo Boero, constitute the largest Italian tricolor in the world.

A life-size replica of Michelangelo’s 'David' inside the Italy Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by David Jimenez/Expo 2020 Dubai)
A life-size replica of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ inside the Italy Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by David Jimenez/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The boat hulls evoke the journey, the metaphor of the quintessence of adventure, intended in the Latin sense of ad-venture: towards something yet to come in the form of knowledge. The nautical theme is also evoked by the Pavilion’s external encircling perimeter, which is made of tightly tied ropes of recycled material (plastic and PET) containing LED lights that, at night-time, light up the façade and make it interactive. Expo 2020 Dubai will represent an opportunity for Italy’s recovery and success in all its forms of ingenuity and know-how in the area of sustainability.


A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN PRINT IN SELECTIONS #57

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