Construction of Dutch pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai resumed

Following a construction halt from 1 October 2020 to 1 March 2021, work on the world expo in Dubai has recently been resumed. Expo 2020 Dubai was scheduled to take place from October 2020 to April 2021. Due to the corona pandemic, however, it was postponed by a year. The expo will now start on 1 October 2021 and run until 31 March 2022.

In the autumn of 2020 it was decided to only complete the structural work of the Dutch pavilion. This structural shell consists of steel sheet piling – indicating the connection with water – which is resistant to the weather conditions (sandstorms, etc.) in Dubai. Since March 2021 the more sophisticated components, including sensitive equipment, have been being built.

Design

In 2018 the winning design for the Dutch pavilion was announced by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Dutch Dubai consortium (made up of Expomobilia, V8 Architects, Kossmann.dejong and Witteveen+Bos). The Netherlands will be represented at Expo 2020 Dubai by a standout pavilion that is not a building in the traditional sense, but rather a temporary climate system built using locally sourced materials. The pavilion embodies the Netherlands’ chosen theme of ‘uniting water, energy and food’ and demonstrates the connection the country is able to make between sustainable energy, water management, agriculture and circularity. These important themes and their interconnectedness form the day-to-day work of Witteveen+Bos.

The pavilion’s circular climate system design creates a world in which visitors can immerse themselves in silence, warmth, coolness, light, darkness, agriculture and water. Inside, visitors are treated to a sensorially rich experience of Dutch know-how and skill in resourcefully harvesting water, energy and food.

Sustainable and circular

The pavilion is being built using a construction method that makes the concept of temporary circular climate system intelligible. To minimise transport, the entire 3,727 m2 pavilion is being constructed with locally sourced materials. Once the expo is over, all materials will be either given back or recycled. This means no waste is produced and everything gets reused. As a result, the pavilion’s ecological footprint is effectively reduced to zero. In contrast to the exterior’s civil engineering character, the pavilion’s interior offers a scintillating mix of light, tactility and refinement inspired by typical forms from the Dutch landscape and by the geometric patterns of Arabic culture.

 

Design Dutch pavilion

Consortium

The Dutch pavilion was designed by the Dutch Dubai consortium, made up of Expomobilia, V8 Architects, Kossmann.dejong and Witteveen+Bos. Together they possess a wealth of experience as well as a strong network in Dubai. The pavilion brings together all necessary knowledge and technology in the fields of pavilion construction, architecture, interactive visitor experiences, circularity and sustainable construction. Many innovative Dutch companies were involved in the concept’s development, including Aardlab and Sign.