Video: Expo 2020 Dubai reveals design for final pavilion to be made with rope and stone

Expo 2020 Dubai has revealed the design of its Opportunity Pavilion – the final major design element to be unveiled ahead of the event.

The pavilion has been designed to celebrate global progress towards achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a statement said.

Spread across 4,500 sqm, the pavilion will be built from natural and organic materials such as timber, rope and about 2,500 tonnes of stone.

All of the materials are recyclable and no concrete will be used in its construction.

The pavilion’s spiral shaped canopy will be made from around 111 kilometres of woven rope, a statement said.

Surrounded by a landscaped area that includes food and beverage, retail and entertainment offerings, the building aims to allow visitors to collaborate and share ideas.

Expo 2020 has appointed Australia-based Cox Architecture to design the building and UK company Event Communications to curate the exhibition.

It will complement Expo 2020’s two other thematic pavilions which are based on the subthemes of Mobility and Sustainability.

Steve Woodland, principal director at Cox Architecture, said: “The pavilion will feature a ‘rope-and-light’ theme throughout, with intertwined ropes reflecting the coming together of people to contribute to human progress, giving them a sense of fulfilment and encouraging further action.”

The pavilion will also house Expo 2020’s global best practice programme – ‘Small Steps, Big Leaps’.

Introduced by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the body that oversees the running of World Expos, the initiative calls for every World Expo to showcase successful and impactful solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.

The solutions can be developed and implemented by nations, businesses, international organisations, educational institutions, communities or individuals.

Also read: In pictures: German pavilion revealed at Dubai Expo 2020

Maha Al Gargawi, director, International Participants at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We want the Opportunity Pavilion to leave people feeling engaged and inspired about how they – like everyone else – can become a force for change that will help to make the world a better place.”

Expo 2020, the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

Around 180 countries are expected to participate in the event, which will be the first where all the participating countries have their own pavilion. The Expo will also see participation from companies, NGOs and educational institutions.

The expo is expected to attract 25 million visits, with 70 per cent of visitors projected to come from outside the UAE.