With less than one year to go until Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to the public, the organisers behind the global event have shared the first images of the site’s pavilions. The event in the UAE was set to get underway this year, but has been postponed until October 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. But to keep the momentum alive, new photography illustrates the Sustainability Pavilion designed by Grimshaw Architects, as well as structures by Santiago Calatrava, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, and Asif Khan.
Despite the pandemic, progress on the Expo 2020 site has continued at pace, with more than 210 million work hours completed to date. Work in 2020 has focused on landscaping and fitout of expo-owned buildings, while the construction of country pavilions is on track to conclude by the end of the year. Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the Sustainability Pavilion will be a working demonstration of the effectiveness of solar energy, water harvesting, and material optimisation. The over-arching roof structure not only provides shade, but also generates power with large photovoltaic panels drawing energy from the sun.
Recalling the shape of a falcon in flight, the UAE Pavilion has been designed by Santiago Calatrava. The pavilion will tell the history of the nation as a connected global hub, and the vision of its leaders to create a peaceful and progressive society with ambitious plans for the future. Meanwhile, the 150-meter-diameter Al Wasl Plaza has been designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill architecture as one of the Expo’s central hubs. The plaza will be topped by a 65-meter-high domed trellis that was inspired by the shape of the Expo’s logo and will act as a 360-degree projection surface.
Designed by Hopkins Architects, the Expo’s thematic districts comprise 86 permanent buildings spread over three separate ‘petals’, housing 136 participating countries. The design is characterised by a series of tree-lined, self-shaded, human-scaled streets, with a variety of different sized and themed courtyard spaces.
Finally, Asif Khan’s giant Entry Portals will welcome visitors to the Expo site. The event will run from 1 October 2021 until 31 March 2022.
Images via DesignBoom