Swiss pavilion ... the façade of the building will be entirely covered with reflective film.
Swiss elegance on full display at Reflections
01 March 2020
Construction work is under way on Switzerland’s Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion, Reflections, which has been designed by Zurich-based architects OOS in collaboration with Bellprat Partner and Lorenz Eugster.
“The foundation has been completed and we are currently working on the steel structure,” Manuel Salchli, commissioner general of the Swiss Pavilion and chairman of the Steering Committee of the Expo 2020 Dubai, told Gulf Construction.
According to Salchli, the core and shell will be completed by the end of next month (April) with the pavilion expected to be ready by September 2020.
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Salchi ... the core and shell will be completed by the end of next month. |
Located in the Expo’s ‘Opportunity district’, the pavilion reflects key aspects of Swiss culture, natural beauty and innovations, delivered through a series of interactive elements and images with the country’s breathtaking landscapes serving as a backdrop to Swiss solutions for a sustainable future.
The entrance to the pavilion, with its Swiss cross, can be seen from afar while the façade of the building will be entirely covered with reflective film that will not fail to attract attention, according to the designer.
The pavilion will present itself as an iconic cubic temporary structure inspired by the Bedouin tents.
The construction, operation and maintenance of the pavilion all reflect the sustainable theme of the Expo, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
The pavilion is being constructed from sustainably produced scaffolding elements and textiles, both easy to install and dismantle.
Commenting on the sustainability/green features incorporated into the design and construction of the structure, he said, the façade is made of a textile membrane, reducing the use of concrete to a minimum.
In addition, most spaces in the pavilion will not be air-conditioned, but benefit from a natural ventilation, he stated.
Based on the concept of a journey, visitors are invited to experience specific Swiss values by walking through the pavilion, which is subdivided into three dramatic acts, each reflecting the core themes: ‘Typically Swiss’, ‘Discover Opportunities and Possibilities’ and ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Reflections makes a bold architectural statement from the outside. From the inside too, it offers a one-of-a-kind experience by inviting visitors to go on a hike – a typically Swiss activity: as they pass through the pavilion, they not only experience the beautiful Swiss landscape but learn more about Switzerland as a country proud of its traditions but at the same time highly innovative.
Visitors will enter a large, high-ceiling space, accessed through a crystal cave, and will be surprised to enter a dark room where the typical sounds of the Swiss mountains will be heard. Then they can hike through a sea of fog or ride a ‘magic carpet’ to the top where sunlight passes through the upper part of the room.
Spaces in the pavilion will be reserved for workshops and events, allowing the eager visitor to engage with the various topics and learn even more.
In addition, the pavilion will host a number of temporary exhibitions that turn the spotlight on Swiss innovation and the products and services of private sector partners and the Swiss tourism sector to promote the country’s economic capacity and attractiveness as a tourist destination to the UAE.
According to the regulations of the Exhibition Bureau in Paris, the pavilion will be dismantled after Expo 2020, Salchli adds.
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