An immersive exhibition
The Digital Spanish Expo Pavilion in Dubai
© Adrià Goula
The motto for Expo 2020 in Dubai was Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. For the first time in an Arab country, 173 different nations presented their view of the world and their contribution to sustainable development. Spain’s pavilion by architects Amann-Cánovas-Maruri concentrated on high-tech, immersive experiences and extensive interaction with visitors. Two Catalan offices were expressly responsible for the project: External Reference and Onionlab.
© Adrià Goula
Intelligent building
Die kegelförmigen Pavillons nutzen wiederverwendbares Holz und Stahl, ihre konische Form sorgt für einen Kamineffekt, verstärkt also den natürlichen Luftstrom und sorgt für Kühlung mit einfachen Mitteln. Ganz anders sieht es für den unterirdischen High-Tech-Ausstellungsbereich aus, der mit einer Fülle von technischen Spielereien aufwartete.
Breathable materials
Apart from the historical tour, there is also the Forest of Intelligence, whose 3D-printed trees consist of corn dextrose and Pure.tech. The mineral compound binds greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Furthermore, photobioreactors with microalgae emit oxygen.
© Aleix Fernandez
An interactive stage
The Tree of Balance forms the heart of the exhibition. Thirty interactive screens and an app challenge visitors to consider their own consumption habits. The tree responds by either blooming or withering.
© Adrià Goula
Unique cooperation
The staging is a joint project of the Catalan offices External Reference and Onionlab. Their objective was to create “an immersive experience” that would be participative and pedagogical, playful and insightful. To this end, the team used interactive floor surfaces and 3D-projections, animated graphics and holograms, LED installations, backlit wall graphics and an app that was developed by External Reference and produced by The Others.
© Adrià Goula
An ambitious mission
The Spanish pavilion, which goes by the motto Intelligence for Life, presents the interfaces of art, design and technology. The country’s rich cultural heritage is loaded with ecological questions. The aim of the exhibition is a moment of recognition when all spectators will understand that they hold the future of the world in their own hands. Ultimately, climate change and sustainability affect us all. Speaking of which, most of the avant-garde pavilions at Expo 2020 are to be dismantled: only Al Wasl Dome will remain to become the centre of a new urban district. The next Expo will take place in 2025 in the Japanese city of Osaka. The caravan moves on.
Architecture: Amann-Canovas-Maruri
Client: Spanien (ES)
Location: Dubai (AE)
Exhibition architecture: External Reference und Onionlab
Gallery
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