Tag: expo-2020-dubai | ArchDaily

On Designing National Pavilions: Power and Identity at Universal Exhibitions

Camilla Ghisleni — Fri, 30 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

What can a pavilion’s architecture reveal about its country? At major World Expos, national pavilions are designed to answer this question, transforming into spaces laden with symbolism. Though temporary, these structures are rich in meaning, functioning as architectural expressions of political identity. Their forms and materials encapsulate national ambitions. Expo Osaka 2025, the latest chapter in this ongoing narrative, showcases how nations increasingly use built space to construct global images of themselves—sustainable, technological, culturally distinct, and geopolitically relevant.

Expo City Dubai to Be Transformed by UNStudio into New Urban Center

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The site of Expo 2020 Dubai is scheduled to undergo a major transformation, developed by UNStudio in collaboration with several other firms. The master plan aims to reimagine the location of the first World Expo held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia into a new urban center, integrating the structures of the original Expo with new developments to create a cohesive and engaging new district. The development, part of Dubai's 2040 Urban Master Plan, leverages approximately 80% of the existing infrastructure and buildings from Expo 2020, minimizing waste and maximizing the value of previous investments.

Building the Future: The Rise of Modular Construction in the Middle East

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 06 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Modular construction is a process in which a building is constructed away from its actual site, within controlled factory settings, using identical materials, and adhering to a set of codes and regulations. The methodology was first introduced as a solution in the search for efficient, quality-controlled, and cost-effective building systems. The industrialized building method evolved to meet historical demands and has recently been met with renewed interest. These “modules” are then transported to the construction site and assembled into the final structure, adhering to the same building standards as conventionally built facilities. With potential benefits in terms of waste reduction, energy efficiency, emergency responses, and fast-tracked development, the methodology is gaining traction worldwide.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's Capital to Host World Expo in 2030

Christele Harrouk — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 03:30:00 +0000

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) announced yesterday, on Tuesday, November 28, that Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been selected to host the 2030 World Expo, by securing the necessary two-thirds majority of votes in the first round. Marking another milestone for the Gulf, following Dubai's Expo 2020 and Qatar's hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, this five-yearly event draws millions of visitors and investments. Under the theme, "The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow", Expo 2030 Riyadh will run between 1 October 2030 and 31 March 2031.

Expo City Dubai to Welcome Back Visitors on September 1st Ahead of its Full Relaunch

Dima Stouhi — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Ahead of the official opening of the Expo City Dubai site on October 1st, the organizers have announced that visitors will have the chance to discover two of the Expo's thematic pavilions: Alif and Terra starting September 1st, marking its inauguration. The pre-launch will also feature access to Garden in the Sky, a 360-degrees platform that offers panoramic views of the site.

Pavilion for the Kingdom of Bahrain Expo 2020 Dubai / Christian Kerez

Paula Pintos — Fri, 06 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000

The pavilion in Dubai consists of a hall with a floorplan area of 900 m2 and a height of about 23 m. Columns and beams ordinarily articulate architectural space horizontally and vertically, but here the columns spread out unfathomably in all directions. They penetrate walls and ceilings and end outside the building. The placement of the windows and the window reveals in the thin perimeter planes is a pure consequence of the geometrical arrangement of the columns.

Expo 2020 Dubai: Transitioning to the Future?

Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 07:30:00 +0000

During the past two years spent photographing Expo 2020 Dubai, I was often asked by friends what exactly it was. To align with its closure on the 31st of March, I would like to address that question from two angles. Most readers will be aware that the expo is part of a tradition dating back to the 19th century - a Showcase for companies and countries, a tourist attraction, a testing ground for technical innovation. But it is also a collection of paradigm studies on opportunity, sustainability, and mobility, as well as a lucrative building project creating a new neighbourhood in the Emirates and a future means of dwelling. Perhaps this last frame of reference is the most interesting for it is what most distinguishes this expo from others.

Hungary Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai / ArchEA Atelier + Paralel Atelier

Valeria Silva — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

On the role of the Exposition. The role of World Expositions changed and evolved at the same pace since the Great Exhibition in 1851 held in London as mankind and along with it, the world. However, individual pavilions of participant nations and artworks exposed continue to be the main attraction of each exhibition. Nations present at a world expo have the opportunity to showcase innovation, inventions, ideas, culture, and even art at an international level. These events facilitate the creation of pavilions and artifacts installed in them, which are state-of-the-art, cutting-edge, innovative, and perfectly represent the participant country.

Brazilian Pavilion Expo Dubai 2020 / MMBB Arquitetos + Ben-Avid + JPG.ARQ

Susanna Moreira — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Abstract. The pavilion features the waters of Brazil - its rivers and mangroves, the birthplace of the fertility of life, a natural inheritance that underlies all discourse about sustainability on the planet. With its tensile steel structure and lightweight white fabric, the pavilion is a fabric onto which videos are projected, creating an immersive atmosphere of variable images, sounds, aromas, and temperatures, over an area of undulating, shallow water through which the pavilion’s visitors may walk. It is a place of interaction, of an arresting scenic character. It is a stage for the visualization of nature and culture focused both on preservation and on a future made sustainable through technology.

German Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai / LAVA

Paula Pintos — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000

LAVA’s design of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is an ensemble of suspended cubes, a forest of steel poles, covered by a floating roof. And behind these visually exciting design elements, everything from the intelligent use of local climatic conditions to materials reuses to connectedness is sustainable.

Mies van der Rohe Foundation, the European Commission, and the Irish Pavilion Exhibit European Architecture as Caregiver at the Expo 2020 Dubai

Dima Stouhi — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 06:30:00 +0000

Fundació Mies van der Rohe, the European Commission, and the Irish Pavilion have inaugurated an exhibition titled “Transformation Strategies: European Architecture as Caregiver” which highlights the European Union's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai and showcases its contribution to tackling global challenges in line with the main themes of the event. The exhibition opened to the public on November 2nd at the Irish Pavilion in the Expo's Jubilee Avenue, and will be on display until the end of 2021.

The Green Arch Belgian Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai / Vincent Callebaut Architectures + assar architects

Paula Pintos — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

As the philosopher, Gilles Deleuze says: « Believing in the world is what we miss the most. We have completely lost the world. We have been dispossessed of it. »

Thematic Districts Expo Dubai 2020 / Hopkins Architects

Paula Pintos — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Hopkins Architects have master planned, designed, and delivered the largest built area of Expo 2020, the ‘Thematic Districts’ creating a new piece of the city that will house over 87 new permanent buildings and host the work of more than 136 participating countries in this year’s covid-delayed exhibition.

Calatrava's UAE Pavilion Through the Lens of Stephane Aboudaram

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0000

A "symbolic interpretation of the flow of movement", Calatrava’s design for the UAE Pavilion at the 2020 Expo Dubai is a 15,000 square meters immersive and multisensory experience. Images recently shot by Stephane Aboudaram highlight a structure of 28 automated cantilevered wings, that open and rotate at a range of 110 and 125 degrees. Moreover, these photos also show a central skylight, that mimics the logo of this year’s expo.

Polish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai References the Flight of Birds Through Kinetic Sculpture

Andreea Cutieru — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Designed by Warsaw-based architecture practice WXCA and Swiss studio Bellprat Partner, the Polish Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai is a nod to the country's natural landscapes representing an essential part of Polish identity. Through a modular structure enveloped by a kinetic sculpture resembling a flock of birds, the project references the idea of mobility while showcasing the natural connection established by bird migration between Poland and UAE.

South Korean Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai / Moon Hoon + Mooyuki

Hana Abdel — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 23:00:00 +0000

Vision - The desert sunrises and rays from it are reflected from many dew droplets on a desert flower. The flickers of lights remind me of card stunts of spectators of the soccer stadium. It also takes me to the sing-along rock concert. The cohesive and spontaneous energy of Korean ness is very well expressed in these moments. A vision of a giant stadium-like structure with bright flickering lights comes to my mind.

Russian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai / SPEECH

Paula Pintos — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 23:00:00 +0000

The exhibition territory is divided into three thematic districts: Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability. Russian Pavilion’s motto is ‘Creative mind: driving the future’.

First Look into Expo 2020 Dubai: 6 Must See National Pavilions

Dima Stouhi — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 05:30:00 +0000

After a year delay due to the worldwide pandemic, October 1st saw the inauguration of one of the most anticipated events of the year; the Expo 2020 in Dubai. The event, which is being held for the first time in the Middle East, focuses on architecture, culture, and innovation, with over 191 national participants. The pavilions on display are divided into three districts: Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity, each showcasing how their country has contributed and will contribute to its respective theme. In addition to the national pavilions, each district has its own thematic pavilion: the Sustainability Pavilion “Terra” by Grimshaw, the Mobility Pavilion “Alif” by Foster + Partners, and the Opportunity Pavilion “Mission Possible” by AGi Architects.