Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava’s design has been chosen for the UAE Pavilion for the Dubai World Expo 2020.
The design, inspired by a falcon in flight, will sit at the centre of the 200-hectare exhibition zone.
The pavilion will represent the UAE to the 25 million visitors expected during the event, which runs from October 2020 to April 2021.
The 15,000-sq-m structure will have numerous exhibition areas, an auditorium and VIP lounges.
It is designed to meet LEED Platinum sustainable building standards.
Calatrava’s design represented the Expo 2020 theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” and captured a “distinct Emirati feel and a balance between the UAE’s past and future.”
The design was chosen by program manager Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.
Calatrava said: “I am deeply honoured that our practice has been chosen to design the national pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020, a project of national and global significance.
“I am confident that the final design will be a symbol of the bold and daring spirit of the UAE, reflected in what is poised to be the most inclusive and global Expo in history.”
It was announced that Dubai were to host the 2020 World Expo in 2013.
Images via Santiago Calatrava
