The facade that hangs over the plaza has been created entirely from media screens, which behave like huge reflective mirrored panels when turned off. The second largest pavilion at Expo, the Saudi Arabia Pavilion dramatically juts out of the ground at an angle. Other pavilions such as the Maldives allow visitors to be a part of the diorama and experience some whimsical fun. It reflects the people in the queue and doesn’t use any external lighting – it simply reflects the light from its surroundings to stand out. For Switzerland, the facade is an acrylic mirror converging towards the entrance of the structure. And if a person places their hand under the railing the speck on the LED would turn red creating a dynamic sculpture. Spain had a central LED sculpture where the specks on the LED screen represents the number of people walking on the downward spiral stairway. These had a lot to offer in terms of human interaction to express creativity. Images: Pragya Chhajer | Jeep Charupumarin | Naveen Mathew George Spain Pavilion, Switzerland Pavilion & Maldives Pavilion Poland depends on the wind to set the mass of wings (representing migrating birds) across the facade in motion and Korea uses motors to rotate the brightly coloured cubes in a synchronous manner. Poland Pavilion & Republic of Korea Pavilionīoth of these pavilions are dynamic in nature. It offered a multi-sensory experience including the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra and smell of lush woodland, and it even has a slide. The Luxembourg Pavilion on the other hand is a complex organic enveloping form that makes for a stunning piece of ribbon-like architecture. Throughout the structure the materials used are wooden slats and industrial fabric, and it showcases why it’s one of the happiest countries in the world with the way the government prioritises communities and their needs. The facade of the Finland Pavilion is simplistic and represents a pitched tent – aka the “Snow Cape”. It introduces you to the history, the present and vision of the country in terms of technology, agriculture, trade and its growing global charisma. It has beautifully implemented the most easily available resource of sand to create surfaces to project images and information. Unlike most of the other pavilions that show a lot of projection mapping and complicated technology, structures and information overload, the UAE uses a minimal and simplistic approach from the start. The entire experience within and outside the building is calming. The unmissable structure by architect Santiago Calatrava represents the falcon – the symbol of the UAE. Images: Jeep Charupumarin | Pragya Chhajer As the end of the six-month event approaches, I’d like to share some of the pavilions that will stay with me. Quirks like buying the Expo passport, which allows you to get stamps from pavilions to document your visit, keeps visitors of all ages enthusiastic and interested.Ī visit to Expo is basically a trip around the world, with each country having put a phenomenal amount of effort into their individual pavilions and what they have to showcase. Images: Pragya Chhajer | Jeep Charupumarin The dome itself is a stunning structure the interior filtered with sunlight during the day and entirely and dynamically lit up using only massive projectors at night to suit the variety of performances that are held there. One remains in absolute awe of the plaza even after multiple visits. The extended metro line leading to Expo takes you directly to the heart of the event, Al Wasl Plaza. Having visited Expo six or seven times (I can’t quite remember!), I realise the scale of planning that must have been behind the event and have to say my experience as a visitor was seamless. Three districts – Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility – support the theme, each district having its own pavilion whilst hosting an impressive number of country pavilions that offer an insight into their history, future, culture and innovations. With the theme “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future” world class designers, architects and artists (amongst many other professions) were given a platform to showcase their ideas and cultures. Showing the spirit of celebration and coming together (despite the pandemic), Dubai opened its doors to the world at the start of October 2021 for Expo 2020 and the gathering of over 190 countries.

Dubai expo 2021 highlights