Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014
Dubai: The UAE Pavilion for Expo Milan 2015 was revealed on Tuesday in a joint webcast from London, Milan and Abu Dhabi.
The 140-metre long site was visualised in a 3D digital design to the public and members of the press who had registered to view the live webcast at 2PM. The Pavilion will occupy a large area near the centre of the Expo Milan 2015 site. Visitors will be drawn into a canyon like space separated by two 12 metre high sand-rippled walls.
“Influenced by ancient planning principles, the paths through the pavilion evoke the narrow pedestrian streets and courtyards of the ancient desert city,” UK-based designers Foster + Partners said in a statement.
Entering the UAE Pavilion visitors will be towards the auditorium past digital versions of irrigation aqueducts that have been used to support the agriculture in the region. The designers will use a scan taken from the desert to construct the texture of the walls. Other features include interactive displays and digital talks including an exhibit celebrating Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020.
The team behind the UAE Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015 stressed the importance of reducing the carbon footprint of their participation at the event. The team, lead by UAE Expo Commissioner-General Salem Al Ameri, have stated that it is a priority to source local materials using recycled content, use of CO2 absorbing materials, and materials that are durable and have long-term re-use value.
The use of durable materials is important to the design and construction process because the Pavilion will not be destroyed when Expo 2015 finishes. It will be de-assembled, shipped to the UAE, and reconstructed in Abu Dhabi city serving as an attraction site for residents and visitors.
Expo Milan 2015 is set to be a preamble of UAE’s ‘Dubai Expo 2020.’ The UAE launched a high profile bid to host the 2020 event competing against cities in Russia, Turkey and Brazil. Since winning the right to host Expo 2020, the UAE is now set to be the first city in the Middle East to host a major international event.
The Dubai Expo 2020 site, with a theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” will be hosted in one of the emirates newest development cities Dubai World Central (DWC). The focus of Expo 2020 will be exploring the interdependencies of sustainability, mobility and opportunity and identifying potential partnerships.
Staff Report
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
