Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For Expo 2020 Dubai’s Sustainability Pavilion, Grimshaw Architects along with local landscape architects desert INK express the ethos of addressing the impact of human activities on the environment, acting as a catalyst for collective action.
The Sustainability Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
With sustainability as one of the three core themes of the Expo, the pavilion has become a platform for highlighting the urgency of the issue, sharing knowledge, and exploring ideas while also providing visitors with n immersive experience.
As one of the legacy buildings, the project is set to become a Science Centre after the event and aims to operate as an autonomous construction in terms of energy and water supply.
The pavilion design draws inspiration from natural processes such as photosynthesis, with a morphology optimized for sunlight and humidity water harvesting.
The relationship of building to the site, and to its physical and cultural contexts is critical, as the facility’s strength lies in its capacity to demonstrate a new way of living sustainably in a challenging desert environment.
When creating a building with the goal of generating its own energy and water in a harsh climate, the solution cannot be driven by a single aspect of the design.
To achieve net-zero, the design required a series of technologies, building systems, and design solutions to act in unison.
This self-contained, micro-ecosystem resulted from a combination of strategies: optimizing the natural conditions inherent in its location; working with and within them to maximize efficiency; and supplementing them with pioneering sustainable technologies to create ian nnovative solution.
The canopy roof spans 130 meters and is cladded in photovoltaic panels, while around it, 18 “Energy Trees” provide shade and capture solar power. Much of the 6.300 square meters of exhibition space is located below ground, thus benefiting from the earth’s insulation effect.
The funnel shape stimulates natural ventilation and brings natural light inside the pavilion.
The canopy also serves as a large collection area for stormwater and dew that replenishes the building’s water system.
The result is a structure that combines the most advanced technology in solar capture and a clear understanding of the natural conditions of the site to actively generate energy while passively cooling and enhancing the experience of the visitor.
The structure’s water management system collects condensation, which is filtered and disinfected, mixed with desalinated water harvested on-site, and then used as potable water for the pavilion.
The above-ground surfaces are clad with a gabion rainscreen wall ― built with local stone sourced from the Hajar Mountains ― which provides enough thermal mass to absorb the heat while the stone’s natural color reflects the sun.
The volume of water increases proportionally to the temperature of the outside air and the number of visitors.
The area surrounding the pavilion, designed by desert INK, features several demonstration gardens showcasing new kinds of crops adapted for arid climates, which could inspire the development of a new food production system in the region.
Aside from demonstrating sustainability in a harsh environment, the pavilion provides visitors with an immersive experience that traces human relationships with nature, provoking a conversation around the environmental impact of contemporary society.
Created by Thinc Design and educational NGO Eden Project, the pavilion’s content explains key sustainability issues and concepts through interactive installations.
The Sustainability Pavilion enjoys a long life after the end of the Expo, transforming into a science museum and expanding on its mission of exploring sustainable practices and the critical stewardship of our fragile planet.
Project: Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai
Architects: Grimshaw
Lead Architect: Nicholas Grimshaw
Landscape Architects: Desert Ink
Exhibition Designers: thinc design
Engineers: Buro Happold
General Contractor: ASGC Group
Client: Emaar Properties, Expo 2020 Dubai
Photographers: Phil Handforth and Tom Hennes
