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Santiago Calatrava-designed UAE and Qatar pavilions highlight Expo 2020 Dubai's grand opening

2021-10-01T15:23:00-04:00

Two neighboring Gulf states are taking center stage at the newly opened Expo 2020 Dubai thanks to a pair of pavilions from Santiago Calatrava.

The Spanish architect, who used to have an office in Doha, currently operates out of Dubai and said he was “thrilled” by the honor of being asked to design structures for the nations that he has come to view as a second home.

Qatar Pavilion © Palladium Photodesign - Oliver Schuh + Barbara Burg

Inspired by the crossed swords image embedded in the Qatari coat of arms, Calatrava’s curvilinear contribution uses the metaphor of a dhow to convey the movement and progress of a country eager to showcase its liberalized outlook to the world.

Qatar Pavilion © Palladium Photodesign - Oliver Schuh + Barbara Burg

The 960-square-meter (10,333-square-foot) structure plays host to immersive exhibitions that highlight the country’s history and ambitious 21st-century development goals.

UAE Pavilion © Palladium Photodesign - Oliver Schuh + Barbara Burg

Calatrava...

Es Devlin's UK pavilion is unveiled as the Expo 2020 Dubai officially kicks off

2021-09-30T12:26:00-04:00

Lauded as one of the “must-see” highlights at this year’s Expo 2020 Dubai, the entry from the United Kingdom stands above the crowd thanks to a unique collaborative design from London-based artist and designer Es Devlin.

Photo © Alin Constantin Photography

The 20-meter (65.5-foot) conical CLT structure will host a program that highlights advancements in artificial intelligence, sustainable food, fashion, and other technologies relating to the Expo’s theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” The pavilion also includes an interactive feature, inspired by Stephen Hawking, that will transcribe and then broadcast user-aggregated messages into space using machine learning technology.

Photo © Alin Constantin Photography

Devlin, who, in the past, has collaborated with luminaries like Bjarke Ingels and Benedict Cumberbatch, and who was responsible for the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony Union Jack set design, came to view the pavilion as a showcase for not only technology and com...

Expo 2020 Dubai: one-year postponement confirmed

2020-05-26T17:42:00-04:00

It's official: Expo 2020 Dubai will be postponed by one year. After the UAE government asked for a delay last month, a majority of the Bureau International des Expositions member states now voted in favor of the proposal, officially confirming the new start date of October 1, 2021 and end date of March 31, 2022.

Previously on Archinect: Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill unveils Al Wasl Plaza scheme for Dubai Expo 2020. Image: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture..

"We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay Expo 2020 Dubai by one year," said the Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in response to the BIE announcement. "We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed."

Previously on Archinect: Asif Khan-designed portals for Expo 2020 Dubai create celestial gateway...

New dates proposed for Expo 2020 Dubai

2020-04-06T21:17:00-04:00

The UAE has officially proposed that the World Expo 2020 Dubai be moved. They have put forward a potential start date of October 1, 2021, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The request was made in a letter addressed to Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

After hinting at a potential one-year delay of the Expo 2020 Dubai last week in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE government has now reportedly proposed the new start date of October 1, 2021 and end date of March 31, 2022. The Bureau International des Expositions confirmed that it would be discussing the request at the upcoming BIE Executive Committee meeting on April 21.

Expo 2020 Dubai hinted at potential delay of the event in a message released on March 31

The central Al Wasl Plaza at the Dubai expo grounds was designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and is surrounded by major thematic pavilions envisioned by BIG, Foster + Partners, and Grimshaw. In charge of the expo site master plan were HOK, along with Populous and Arup. Asif Khan designed the Expo Entry Portals which were unveiled recently.

Asif Khan-designed portals for Expo 2020 Dubai create celestial gateways for visitors

2020-02-11T11:15:00-05:00

London-based Asif Khan as designed the Expo Entry Portals for Expo 2020 Dubai. Drawing inspiration from the latticework present in the traditional "mashrabiya" among Arabic dwellings, the three portals are crafted entirely from intertwined lightweight carbon fiber composite and sit defiantly upon the open landscape. Measuring 21 meters high by 30 meters long, the portals were developed over the course of a three-year iterative design process in collaboration with an aircraft engineer and a manufacturer specializing in large format carbon composite.

Of the project, Asif Khan said: "Designing the Public Realm for Expo 2020 Dubai is a seminal moment for my practice; each aspect of the design invites visitors to immerse themselves in shared Islamic culture, art and language in dialogue with the future spirit of Expo. As visitors explore the many facets of the Public Realm designs, from the Expo Entry Portals to the seating I made with Lara Captan, I hope it leaves them with an unforgett...

Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill unveils Al Wasl Plaza scheme for Dubai Expo 2020

2017-04-26T20:07:00-04:00

After securing the commission in a fierce competition, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture revealed their design of the Al Wasl Plaza for the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. As the Expo's last major design element to be finalized, AS+GG's building will stand among other major pavilions designed by Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, BIG, and Santiago Calatrava's falcon-like UAE Pavilion. Back in 2013, AS+GG had the winning scheme for the 2017 Astana World Expo site.

According to the architects, Al Wasl Plaza is named after a historical reference to Dubai and also translates to “connection”, pertaining to the Expo's overall “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” theme.

Al Wasl Plaza will be a central event hub at the heart of the 4.38-square kilometer Expo site that is being masterplanned by HOK, Populous and Arup. It'll also connect the three sub-thematic districts, “Opportunity”, “Sustainability”, and “Mobility” — whose pavilions are being designed by BIG, Grimshaw, and Foster + Partners, r...