Expo 2020 Dubai has revealed its master plan in the form of a dedicated experiential zone displayed at the 15th edition of the Arab Media Forum. Visitors were among the first to take a glimpse at how the Expo 2020 Dubai site will look and feel upon completion, through augmented reality and leading-edge digital technology. This experience will bring to life the recently announced winning designs of the Expo Theme Pavilions, dedicated to Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Director General of Bureau Expo Dubai 2020, commented: “We at Expo 2020 Dubai strive to deliver a comprehensive and inclusive experience, which began the moment the bid was won and will continue long after the Expo closes in 2021, living through its legacy. We seek to contribute in making a better future through a platform that enables the collaboration of people and ideas in novel ways leaving a lasting legacy.”
The Expo 2020 Dubai’s master plan truly reflects the theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, and aims to seamlessly integrate the three subthemes into the urban design, infrastructure, delivery, operations, and legacy of the mega-event. The master plan aims to enable all involved with the event to benefit from an inclusive experience with specific attractions, services, amenities, and design considerations that maximise enjoyment and comfort for all.
The Expo site will spread across a two-square kilometre, revolving around the Al Wasl meeting plaza – the figurative and literal heart of Expo 2020 Dubai. Spreading outwards from Al Wasl will be three Theme Districts, each boasting its respective Theme Pavilion. The three Theme Pavilions would be designed by leading global architecture firms.
The Opportunity Pavilion is being designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), the Mobility Pavilion by Foster+Partners and the Sustainability Pavilion by Grimshaw Architects. The winning design for the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was also revealed recently by the National Media Council. The design by Santiago Calatrava was selected from eleven concepts proposed by nine of the world’s most renowned architectural firms following a competition managed by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company. The falcon-inspired concept of the UAE Pavilion captures the values and principles that the nation was founded on and which reflect the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai, namely inclusion, connection and tolerance.
