Expo 2020 awards major plaza contract

Expo 2020 Dubai has awarded the steel work contract for the vast dome of its central Al Wasl Plaza.

The intricate steel trellis structure of the 67.5 metre tall, 130 metre wide dome will be produced by Abu Dhabi-based Cimolai Rimond Middle East General Contracting LLC, said the Dubai Media Office.

The UAE-Italian joint venture will help to construct what is expected to be an “inspiring piece of architecture at the heart of Expo,” said the media office, which will include 13,600 metres of steel work and weigh 2,265 tonnes when finished. The enclosed space of the dome will measure some 724,000 cubic metres, and Al Wasl Plaza in its entirety will be the central hub of the 4.38 square kilometre Expo site.

The dome will also incorporate a huge immersive projection experience that can be viewed on the ground or from the sky above.

The value of the contract has not been disclosed.

Ahmed Al Khatib, vice president of real estate and delivery at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Al Wasl Plaza will be an iconic central point of Expo 2020 Dubai. We are glad to be working with Cimolai Rimond Middle East, which has a strong track record, including working on the UAE National Pavilion at the 2015 World Expo in Milan.

 “This is the latest construction contract to be awarded this year. Work on Expo 2020 is well on track and we are making great progress. We will be awarding the final construction contract for Al Wasl Plaza in the first quarter of next year.

 “I’m really excited at seeing this colossal dome rise and take shape. The size of the structure is huge – easily big enough to accommodate an Emirates Airline A380 aircraft, with a surface area the same as almost five football pitches. It’s going to be an incredible sight at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, and a major attraction for District 2020 – our legacy development.”

To date more than nine million work hours have been completed on the Expo 2020 site, with 6,100 cubic metres of concrete being laid per week, and 59km of pipes being laid so far as part of infrastructure works, according to the media office.

More than 150 countries have now committed to take part in the global event, and will be able to start work on their plots and the construction of their pavilions from April 2018.