US begins construction of its pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

US Ambassador to the UAE John Rakolta Jr. and Counselor of the Department of State T. Ulrich Brechbuhl have officially inaugurated the construction of the US pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, according to a press release issued by the US Embassy website.

At the first concrete pour, Ambassador Rakolta said, “The US pavilion will showcase how freedom and liberty of thought have enabled success and innovation for American entrepreneurs and innovators. We will share this message with the millions of visitors who will come to Dubai to attend Expo 2020, and we look forward to welcoming them to the pavilion of the United States of America.” Brechbuhl, in turn, commented, “The Department of State is helping tell America’s story at what will be a World’s Fair for the ages. We are proud to fly America’s flag at the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, and we are confident that this pavilion will showcase the best of American liberty, innovation, and culture.” As part of outreach efforts by the United States Mission to the business community in the UAE, Ambassador Rakolta and Counselor Brechbuhl met with members of the American Chamber of Commerce Dubai, American Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi, and the US-UAE Business Council.

During the information sessions organised with the US Foreign Commercial Service, companies learned more about how they can use the US pavilion as a platform for business development.

Representatives from Expo 2020 Dubai and PepsiCo, one of the first sponsors of the US pavilion, joined the sessions to share more about the opportunities and why they were supporting this global mega event.

Earlier in March, the US Department of State announced the selection of Thinkwell Group and Global Ties US for the exhibition, operations, and the cultural programming at the US pavilion.

Meanwhile, Austria has recently completed the first stage of construction for its pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. A cone with a diameter of seven metres at the base now stretches up toward the sky, and 37 more cones – which together will form the pavilion ensemble – will be built on the 2,400 m² site over the next two months. The cones will be cut off at different heights ranging from 6 to 15 metres and interlaced with one another. This ambitious architectural concept uses the simple geometrical shape of a cone to create a complex structure made up of spaces that flow into each another.

In the exhibition area, the cones are open at the top and thus form a “semi-exterior”. The skyward openings not only create unique light and shadow effects in the interior, but are also a key aspect of the climate concept. Inspired by wind catchers used in traditional Arab architecture, the different cone heights lead to constant, cooling air movement. Together with night-time ventilation and the high thermal mass of the cones, this creates a pleasant room climate in the exhibition area using natural methods. The cones are built out of concrete and lined with loam on the interior, which helps cool down the temperature thanks to its unique physical properties. In addition, the white exterior paint of the cones reduces further heat transfer. Dense vegetation creates a shade roof in the entrance, and plants also facilitate a pleasant atmosphere in the exhibition area itself. Especially water-efficient plants are being selected for the pavilion.

The intelligent climate concept allows reduced mechanical cooling of the pavilion. The room temperature in the Austria Pavilion will feel pleasant even in periods of hot weather, and the building requires 70% less energy than a conventional, climate-controlled building. The exact placement of the cones was studied in advance with extensive computer simulations, and the behaviour of the building with regard to thermodynamic effects was tested in lifelike conditions. “The location is a key determinant for us in the construction of a building. We intensively examined the climate-sensitive building methods in the Arab world for our architectural concept. We are making use of this knowledge and combining it with modern climate engineering. Our goal is to construct a sustainable building that consumes very few resources and is easy to take down again after the event,” emphasised Gerd Erhartt from the architectural firm querkraft.

In line with its guiding principle of “giving people space”, the Viennese company has realised numerous residential, office, and museum buildings, including many award-winning projects.

The use of prefabricated parts makes the Austria Pavilion easy to dismantle: Each cone is made up of concrete elements that are precast in Dubai. They are transported to the construction site by truck and assembled on-site using couplers. The individual elements can be easily removed after the pavilion is finished being used.

WAM