Around the world in 47,000 steps!
Over three days we recently travelled from Austria to Zimbabwe and a few places in between – or at least to the pavilions representing these countries at the Dubai Expo 2020. Yes, the year is 2022 but as with the Olympic Games in Tokyo, it was better late than never. With 192 countries represented across a 438-hectare site, plus further thematic pavilions, art installations, eating and relaxation areas, we couldn’t see everything but gave it a good shot taking 47,000 steps in 3 days!
Dubai Expo 2020 - Pakistan pavilion
The expo site is broadly divided into three districts themed around mobility, sustainability, and opportunity. At the heart of the site is Al Wasl, a large amphitheatre beneath a shaded dome that each evening hosts a digital sound and light show. Shaded walkways and landscaped courtyards make it comfortable to walk around the site, so too free chilled water refill points (as is customary outside many villa houses across the UAE).
Dubai Expo 2020 - Austrian pavilion
Pavilions like France; Lebanon; and South Africa extended their cultural experience by offering food; drinks; and locally made clothing and crafts for sale.
Unfortunately, much of this went unnoticed by people aggressively chasing country stamps for their Expo passports – swarming through pavilions rather than taking in any of the exhibits. The speed stamp collecting was a real shame, given the messages that some of the installations are trying to convey. The Marshall Islands’ message was poignant –
‘Can you hear us?
We are the seas that rise,
swallowed whole by blind eyes.
Can you hear us over the crushing waves?
The sea walls fend off the impending end of days.
Our voice will not drown with the rising seas,
nor will we standby and wait,
we beg of you please!
We are more than a tale of caution and pain,
we are your future,
don’t take it lightly, don’t take it in vain’.
Visiting the expo only days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was also incredibly sad to see all the wonderful small businesses, many of which specialised in sustainability and technology, left with only a digital screen displaying a QR code and a plea to Stand with Ukraine.
Never again will this combination of people and places come together in the way they have for Dubai Expo 2020, so if you can, do try to visit before the end of March, after which the show will be over, yet the creative process will begin anew with the masterplan for long term use and development of the site. From April, the space will begin its transformation into “District 2020”, a new residential led, mixed use development for a population of 145,000 people, housed across a “15-minute city” with infrastructure for walking and cycling (and maybe a few innovations from the expo as well!).
See: https://www.expo2020dubai.com/en
Visit virtually: https://virtualexpodubai.com/
Beginning with London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 (held in the spectacular but now demolished Crystal Palace), world expositions create a temporary space in which innovative products are displayed and ideas shared, indeed the theme for Expo 2020 is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.
Dubai Expo 2020 - landscape
The national pavilions vary from modest, customised pre-built structures to spectacular standalone buildings. The appearance of the stand-alone pavilions varies tremendously - vivid colours and sculptural forms (Pakistan, Thailand, and Oman); landscape rich (Malaysia, Singapore, Slovenia); minimalist (Lebanon, Finland); eye catching (Switzerland); and digitally dominant (United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia). The interior design of the pavilions was equally varied, with digital content (Australia) and fragrance (Palestine) providing a more immersive experience.
Dubai Expo 2020 - Austrian pavilion
One of our favourite pavilions was Austria – beneath a bold exterior of clustered white cones representing the alps, visitors discovered that form followed function, with the structures inspired by traditional Arabic wind towers and natural materials to create a cool, organic interior designed by @QuerKraft.Architekten to deliver optimal thermal comfort within minimal energy use.
