This Expo pavilion makes its own water and energy

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The green centerpiece of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Sustainability Pavilion is dominated by a 440-feet-wide steel canopy that hosts over 1,000 solar panels, making it one of the most striking architectural designs of the event. It’s also one of the most technologically impressive, capable of producing its own energy, cooling and water.

“We felt that if you can operate a totally net-zero building in one of the world’s most challenging climates, then clearly it can be done anywhere in the world,” says Andrew Whalley, chairman of UK studio Grimshaw, which designed the pavilion. “This was a real opportunity for Dubai to use this global stage and hopefully inspire the millions of visitors.”

The building can generate up to 4 gigawatt hours of electricity a year — enough to power about 370 average households — from the photovoltaic panels on the canopy and from hundreds more that are mounted on 18 “Energy Trees” scattered around the pavilion. “They’re made of composite carbon fiber, a material typically used in the aerospace industry and high-performance yachts,” says Whalley. “To optimize on efficiency, each tree has a motorized gimbal that allows it to track the sun throughout the day.”

The energy produced is used for powering the cooling systems, as well as water harvesting and recycling. Rainwater and dew are collected via the main canopy and an array of “Water Trees,” which provide shade during the day and collect water at night by taking advantage of the sharp temperature drop and the resulting condensation. On site, gray water is purified and recycled, while black water (from sewage) is cleaned using reed beds, which are natural filtration systems based on aquatic plants.

Read: 50-foot giants and superstar architects: Inside Expo Mobility pavilion

To keep the exhibition space cool, the building is partially buried. “We have used our site as a natural insulator, by sinking most of the exhibition space below ground,” says Whalley. “The remaining space sits under a very heavily insulated landscape roof, which in turn is wrapped with heavy masonry walls built out of reclaimed rocks. All of this provides a strong shield from the outside elements.”

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Expo 2020 Dubai is now open, revealing a spectacular array of pavilions, many designed by world-famous architects. The UAE pavilion, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is a sight to behold, shaped like a falcon -- the country's national bird -- in flight. The structure is topped by falcon-wing shapes made of carbon fiber and fitted with solar panels.

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A series of blue boxes draped in fired clay balls make up the Iran pavilion. Each box showcases different elements of the country's culture, tradition and handicrafts. Streams of water accompany visitors down walkways and into the pavilion, designed by architects Shift Process Practice.

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"Innovating for a shared future" is the theme of the UK pavilion. Designed by Es Devlin Studio, it offers to take visitors on a digital journey through the UK's role in space and artificial intelligence. The theme is reflected in the facade, which features continuously changing collective message generated by AI and visitors' contributions.

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The network of vertical aluminum panels that hangs like a cloud over timber structures is a key element of the Australia pavilion, designed by bureau^proberts. The "cloud" even lights up in the evening to mimic "the ancient and rugged landscape of Australia." Inside, the pavilion explores 60,000 years of Australian innovation, culture and creativity.

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Designed by Al Jabal Engineering, the Pakistan pavilion offers multi-sensory installations encapsulated in walls of color. The colorful façade is a "reflection of the beautiful changing seasons the country experiences, one of the most diverse on Earth," according to its designer, Rashid Rana. Inside, Pakistan's "hidden treasures" are showcased, including its spiritual traditions, history and sustainability initiatives.

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The Russia pavilion, designed by Tchoban SPEECH, is a huge dome covered by strings of giant multi-colored tubes. It's meant to symbolize the question: How do we find our place in an interconnected world? Inside, it explores scientific advancements and creative innovations past and present.

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A combination of traditional Arabesque and Japanese Asanoha patterns form the façade of the Japan pavilion, meant to symbolize the crossover of culture between Japan and the Middle East. Inside the structure, designed by Yuko Nagayama and Associates, visitors can see 3D art installations.

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The Swiss Pavilion, "Reflections," represents the country's traditions and spectacular landscapes. Designed by architects OOS, its giant interactive mirror façade reflects the red carpet that leads to it, to show the national flag. Inside, a "crystal cave" showcases technology, innovation and scientific achievements through immersive displays, before visitors are led through a "sea of fog."

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Built from reusable materials -- fabric, iron and wood -- the Spain pavilion is intended to promote sustainability. The structure, designed by Amann-Canovas-Maruri, is made of cone shaped "solar chimneys" that cool the pavilion and highlight Spain's links with the Arab world.

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Designed by Italian architect Marco Pestalozza, the Kuwait pavilion is a digital showpiece, displaying images of the country's landscapes on its façade, and showcasing a vision for the country's future. Water towers stretch upwards through each level of the structure, symbolizing Kuwait's "commitment to sustainability and water security."

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The German pavilion, themed as "Campus Germany," invites visitors to explore a "curriculum" covering energy, cities of the future and biodiversity within its "labs." The Graduation Hall features swinging seats and during a "graduation ceremony," visitors are encouraged to swing in unison to reflect how great achievements come from working together. The building, a vertical ensemble of cuboids, was designed by Facts And Fiction and LAVA.

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Baden-Württemberg is a state in southwest Germany, and is the only national state to have its own pavilion in Dubai. Built by NÜSSLI Adunic, with a distinctive timber frame, visitors can activate digital flowers in the landscape using their smartphones and explore different topics through augmented reality.

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Egypt's ancient civilization meets its vision for the future in its pavilion. Designed by Egyptian Hazem Hamada, the pavilion is decorated in hieroglyphs, while inside, giant screens explore the country's legacy and progress. The Great Pyramid of Giza is represented by the triangular gate through which visitors enter. Once inside, visitors are met with archaeological artifacts and interactive displays.

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The six-story Saudi Arabia Pavilion, designed by Boris Micka, is the second-largest pavilion after that of the UAE, and has a sloping, rectangular structure. The "Heritage" escalator takes visitors up to experience the country's history and culture, while the "Future" escalator takes them down to explore modern Saudi Arabia through an LED mirror screen and an interactive water feature. The pavilion has been awarded the LEED Platinum Certificate for sustainability.

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Not a pavilion, but a remarkable design nonetheless, the Al Wasl Plaza is the heart of Expo 2020, connecting the three thematic districts, Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity. Al Wasl is the historic name for Dubai and also means "connection." The plaza holds the world's largest 360-degree projection dome. Made of 13.6 kilometers of steel, and designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the trellis steelwork forms the Expo logo.

Inspired by trees

The striking canopy was inspired by the desert ghaf tree, the national tree of the United Arab Emirates. “It harvests sunlight with its photovoltaic skin and shades everything below, funneling breeze into the sunken courtyard,” explains Whalley. “To enable the canopy to span over the pavilion, it cantilevers 70 meters, but the lightweight lattice construction ensures the structure is extremely efficient, and it uses a very high proportion of recycled steel.”

The energy and water trees are also inspired by nature, and modeled after the Socotra dragon tree, native to Yemen and known for its umbrella canopy that prevents evaporation — a natural adaptation to the region’s arid conditions.

The building itself is named Terra — after our planet — and like other Expo buildings, it will be permanently repurposed after the event is over. “The pavilion was actually designed with its long-term function in mind — a public (children’s) science center dedicated to a sustainable and resilient future for our planet,” says Whalley. “We then adapted it for the six-month Expo experience, to deal with the very high temperatures of the summer.”

Read: Italy’s eco-friendly Expo pavilion is made using orange peel and coffee grounds

Inside, 64,000 square feet of exhibition space and galleries offer visitors a journey through the Earth’s forests and oceans, and pit them against symbols of the human obsession with consumerism, framed as a contributor to the climate crisis. Jointly created by New York-based Thinc Design and UK educational charity Eden Project, the gallery aims to turn visitors into agents of change. Highlights include a giant angler fish with its mouth choked by plastic pollution and an interactive experience which asks visitors what possession they would save from a flooding or burning home, to stress the importance of family and community over consumer goods.

Whalley describes it as “a challenging experience,” but one appreciated by visitors. “The reactions from the visitors was very positive, but more importantly I hope it made them question the world around them — and the immediate challenges we face.”

John Bull, the pavilion’s director at Expo 2020 Dubai, says Terra is about showing how humanity can live in harmony with nature. “The building itself acts as an inspiration, as a metaphor, for how we can move forward in ways that are both beautiful, but also efficient and touch lightly on the Earth’s resources,” he says. “It is there to inspire people to have conversations about the future – and I know that it’s working.”