The theme of the largest world show, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time in its more than one and a half century history, is: “By uniting minds, we create the future”. A three-part masterplan for the huge exhibition area was developed by HOK in collaboration with Populous and Arup. The authors of the three main thematic pavilions, revealing the general concept and named "Opportunity", "Mobility" and "Sustainability", were determined by an international competition. 13 well-known and reputable bureaus were invited to participate in it.
The final choice turned out to be quite logical: BIG is exploring new opportunities, Foster + Partners sing the hymn of mobility, and Grimshaw is responsible for the sustainable development of the architectural environment. The organizers note that not only the conformity of the concepts to the declared theme, the courage and recognition of future buildings, but also the prospects for their further use - after the closing of the exhibition were assessed.
All three pavilions will be located around the central square of the complex, forming the core of the exhibition. Bjarke Ingels created a rather rigid and laconic, but at the same plastically very complex ribbed structure on three pillars with a green area and a restaurant in the center. Norman Foster also opted for a three-part structure, but gave it a more streamlined shape and placed it on a spectacularly illuminated base. As a result, its pavilion clearly resembles the head of a modern electric shaver. At the end of Expo 2020, both of these buildings should become museums. Well, Nicholas Grimshaw presented a series of peculiar "plates" lined with solar panels inside. It is planned to locate a technology center at its facility in the future.
