Let the countdown recommence: Canada and Peru prepare for Expo 2020 Dubai

Let the countdown recommence: Canada and Peru prepare for Expo 2020 Dubai

 

Organizers of Expo 2020 Dubai have said they are committed to the global event, exactly one year ahead of its opening.

The first world exposition to take place in the Middle East had been due to open this month in Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New images of the Expo site, in the south of the city, show pavilions near completion and thoroughfares laid out ready to welcome what organizers had hoped would be up to 25 million visitors across the Expo’s six-month duration. More than 190 countries are expected to be represented at the Expo, which is now set to take place between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.

The event’s theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” is based around mobility, sustainability, and opportunity, with pavilions for each subject designed by Foster + Partners, Grimshaw Architects, and AGi Architects respectively. The prestigious task of designing the UAE National Pavilion fell to Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Over 210 million work hours have gone into the initiative so far, say organizers, with efforts in 2020 focusing on landscaping and completing Expo-owned buildings. Construction of national pavilions will be finalized by the end of December, according to a press release.

Since Dubai was awarded the Expo in 2013, billions of dollars have been poured into the project, to develop both the 1,000-acre site and transport infrastructure throughout the city. Much of it will outlive the event itself: Dubai plans to reuse 80% of Expo infrastructure, through ambitious schemes such as the conversion of part of the site into a mixed commercial and residential development called District 2020.

 

CANADA PAVILION. A symbol of collaboration towards a better future. Theme: “Canada: The Future in Mind” District: Sustainability District

Embark on an immersive journey through Canada’s past, present and future
The Canada Pavilion, a wooden structure inspired by the vast Canadian landscape and referencing Middle Eastern architectural elements, is a symbolic representation of the strong cultural and economic ties between Canada and the UAE.
Discover the values that drive the Canadian spirit of innovation and collaboration.

 

PERU PAVILION. See the path Peru has travelled, woven in the fabric of time. Theme: “Timeless, always Peru” District: Mobility District

Embark on a journey of unique emotions and experiences
Peru’s cultural diversity, infinite wealth and ancient wisdom are the greatest protagonists that still surprise the world and will help humanity to build a better future.