20 Jan 2017
'A celebration of ecology': Grimshaw reveal futuristic design features for Dubai Expo's Sustainability Pavilion
BY Kim Megson
Architecture studio Grimshaw have revealed more details and images of their Sustainability Pavilion for the Dubai 2020 Expo.
The project’s design features were unveiled on 17 January at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017, with representatives from the firm pledging the pavilion “will be a celebration of ecology, sustainable technologies and design.”
Grimshaw’s contribution to the Expo will be one of the centrepieces of the international architecture festival when it opens in the emirate on 20 October 2020. It will house exhibition and performance spaces exploring how innovation in science and design can help us protect the planet.
According to the architects, the overall design scheme will “work in harmony with the exhibitions it will house,” with its structures inspired by complex natural processes such as photosynthesis. They will provide working demonstrations of the effectiveness of solar energy, water harvesting and innovative materials.
At the heart of the pavilion will be a core building with 8,000sq m (86,000sq ft) of exhibition space, an auditorium, courtyard and reservoir. An over-arching roof structure will provide shade over the building, generating energy to power the site via large photovoltaic (PV) panels drawing energy from the sun.
A series of ‘energy trees’ will surround the central building. These will track the sun and harvest energy for the pavilion, and will also generate water from the atmosphere. Landscaping, including local flora, shaded enclaves and walkways through the site are inspired by the Wadi riverbeds; a touch Grimshaw said will provide intuitive navigation for visitors while also creating "an aura of magic punctuated by the sights, smells and tactile opportunities of nature."
The pavilion – alongside two planned others by Foster + Partners and Bjarke Ingels Group – will be located at the heart of the Expo’s 2sq km site, surrounding the central Al Wasl meeting plaza.
Countries will contribute smaller pavilions for the event, which is themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’
According to Grimshaw, the pavilion commission has presented "the opportunity to deliver an aspirational message about the natural world, ecology and technology to a global audience."
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