Country pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai showcase stunning architectural designs and fascinating cultural insights. We are presenting six pavilions that are equipped with great elements of innovation.
UAE Pavilion
Shaped like a falcon in flight, 15,000-square-meter pavilion tells the story of the UAE as a global hub, and the vision of its leaders to create a peaceful and progressive society with ambitious plans for the future. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the building is topped with 28 movable wings, the UAE Pavilion’s roof can spread its wings to harvest energy through integrated photovoltaic panels.
As a symbol of the UAE’s pioneering and innovative spirit, the sheltering form of the UAE Pavilion’s steel roof, influenced by the grace and force of the falcon, is equipped with contemporary kinetic capacities and innovative architectural elements. The UAE Pavilion is energy-conscious and integrates a range of elements and qualities of sustainable design.
The pavilion reveals authentic human stories, to elevate our collective sense of humanity and ambition and foster a sense of community, encourage global and local stakeholders to connect and collaborate, and invite the world to experience our story.
Qatar Pavilion
Qatar pavilion, also designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is set to symbolise its progressive outlook of the future while remaining true to its culture and heritage. Having drawn inspiration from the coat of arms of Qatar, the design integrates the 4 elements that are at the core of the national emblem of the State of Qatar – the two crossed and curved swords, encompassing a Dhow and an island with two palm trees – to serve as an architectural beacon at this world-class exhibition mirrors the state’s pioneering vigour, harmonious sense of giving, and powerful character while paying tribute to the mightiest swords and sails representative of the country’s history and culture.
Australia Pavilion
The pavilion’s theme, Blue Sky Dreaming, celebrates Australia’s spirit of innovation and its history as one of the world’s oldest continuous civilisations, highlighting the nation’s infinite opportunities. It offers an immersive and exciting exhibition experience portraying Australia’s vibrant and long-lived culture.
Visitors go through three distinct sections – the Welcome Stories tunnel, the Star Dreaming planetarium-style experience and an immersive storytelling exhibition space dubbed Annika’s Journey- before reaching the open forecourt where visitors can come together to dine, reflect, and celebrate true Australian culture and hospitality.
The roof is a key element of the design of the Australian Pavilion, vertical panels were combined to create a large cloud that hovers over the pavilion.
The pavilion showcases RAMUS, an award-winning design studio led by founder and Light Artist Bruce Ramus, that is leading the way in the latest global construction trend: media architecture. RAMUS is activating the sculptural piece (‘The Cloud’) above the Australian Pavilion where a bespoke series of digital content plays, using abstract video, animations and data visualisations to produce a wide range of moving and interactive scenes.
France Pavilion
The France Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is located in the Mobility District, the pavilion’s theme, Lightspeed Inspiration, seeks to explore light as an enabler of progress, a vehicle for connections and a source of creativity.
Light is the architectural theme for the France Pavilion and this underlying theme will be expressed in various forms throughout the visitors’ journey, offering a truly unique and unforgettable experience.
The pavilion is designed by the Atelier Perez Prado and Celnikier & Grabli architectural firms, which are both engaged in innovation and sustainability. At the heart of the project lies a key idea: starting the visitor experience right at the France Pavilion esplanade so that the entrance queue becomes an experience in its own right, thereby ensuring a fully immersive experience from the moment each visitor sets foot in the France Pavilion. The esplanade of the France Pavilion is sublimated by the lighting designer BOA Light Studio. Day and night, the facade comes alive and is colored with rippling lights.
The pavilion’s design upholds the four key principles of bioclimatic architecture, all while successfully overcoming the challenge of completing the build in the middle of a desert: local integration, construction materials, energy savings and efficiency, and comfort and health.
New Zealand Pavilion
The Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion is designed to be an immersive experience that conveys the theme Care for People and Place, based on kaitiakitanga, the indigenous Māori ethos of connection to the natural environment.
The innovative architectural design of the pavilion points to the connection between people and the environment. The building has an audible and visual ‘pulse’ and the façade will move in time with a low-frequency sound to create a rippling pulse effect.
The architectural concept for the pavilion was inspired by waka taonga, receptacles made by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, to safe-guard items of considerable intrinsic value. The beautifully carved containers called waka huia and papahou, are important cultural symbols for protection and the maintenance of values and practices. They were gifted to strengthen relationships, create new partnerships and maintain traditions and stories from one generation to the next.
The pavilion shows how New Zealanders are driven to innovate because we Care for People and Place – and it is this understanding of our connection and responsibility to the environment that motivates us to do better for future generations.
New Zealand architects Jasmax led the global multi-disciplinary design consortium, designed the pavilion and visitor experience concept. Haumi, in partnership with Jasmax, led the cultural design aspects of the building.
The design uses the waka taonga as a way of bringing people together, and it reflects the ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ theme of Expo 2020 Dubai.
Italy Pavilion
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.
The pavilion’s structure is formed from 150 slender vertical steel pillars, each 27 meters high, that support a trio of 40-metre-long upturned boat hulls manufactured in collaboration with shipbuilder Fincantieri. The roof membrane is combined with ropes manufactured from plastic bottles.
The Italy Pavilion is located between the “Opportunity” and “Sustainability” thematic areas within the Expo 2020 Dubai site. It contains spaces suitable for a range of different events and initiatives.
All info is extracted from the press releases of the pavilions.