(CNN)For the past six months, Dubai's World Expo has been taking place on 1,083 acres of reclaimed desert. After opening a year late, delayed by the Covid pandemic, Expo 2020 Dubai received more than more than 23 million visits, accommodated 192 participating countries, and hosted performances from the likes of Alicia Keys and Jason Derulo, and visits from world leaders such as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The event came to a close on March 31 with a display from the United Arab Emirates' Air Force's aerobatics team, and performances by Christina Aguilera, Norah Jones and Yo-Yo Ma. But now the party has wrapped up and the guests have made their final departure, will the site become a $7 billion "white elephant" -- an unwanted space that becomes a burden on the city?
A legacy site
Expo 2020 organizers say they planned for the legacy of the space from the outset, with 80% of the infrastructure scheduled to transition into District 2020, a mixed-use urban community, described as a "human-centric smart city."
"It's a full, comprehensive city," says Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer for the Expo 2020 site. The space includes homes, offices, leisure facilities, exercise grounds, a mall, and a metro station. According to Al Khatib, District 2020 will also be the largest city in the world to be fully covered by a 5G-enabled network.
"Every corner you walk to, there is a different attraction," he explains. "The parks, the landscaping, the trees -- the entire thing is designed on human needs."
The idea is for all amenities to be accessible to residents on foot in 15 minutes or less -- "Like an old traditional city," says Dina Storey, director of sustainability operations at Expo 2020.
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
UAE pavilion – 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.
Hide Caption
1 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
Iran pavilion – 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.
Hide Caption
2 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
"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.
Hide Caption
3 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
Australia pavilion – 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.
Hide Caption
4 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
Pakistan pavilion – 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.
Hide Caption
5 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
6 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
7 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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."
Hide Caption
8 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
9 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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."
Hide Caption
10 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
11 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
12 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
13 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
14 of 15
Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai unveils its eye-catching pavilions
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.
Hide Caption
15 of 15
There will be 10 kilometers of cycle tracks, 5km of jogging paths and a 4km autonomous vehicle public transit route. The site will retain 123 of the Expo structures and buildings, from the dominating wings of the UAE pavilion, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, to the huge glass and steel façade of the Al Wasl Plaza.
In total, 260,000 square-meters of repurposed Expo buildings will provide homes and offices for up to 145,000 people.
A green city
Despite being built on a desert site, organizers say District 2020 will include 45,000 square meters of green space and parks filled with local native species, such as drought-tolerant Ghaf trees and Jasmine bushes. The buildings are also designed with the environment in mind, and each is fitted with solar panels. The Sustainability Pavilion, designed by British Architecture firm Grimshaw, is a showpiece of Expo's eco-friendly vision.
An aerial view of the Sustainability Pavilion, which will become the Terra Children and Science Center in the transition from Expo to District 2020.
The pavilion is partially submerged, which keeps it cool, and has a 440-feet-wide steel canopy covered with over 1,000 solar panels. The building can generate up to 4 gigawatt hours of electricity a year — enough to power about 370 average homes — from the solar panels on the canopy and on the 18 "Energy Trees" around the pavilion.
In the transition to District 2020 it will become the Terra Children and Science Center, a museum and educational facility demonstrating the smart and sustainable capabilities of the site.
According to Storey, District 2020 will also be the first WELL Certified community in the region -- a standard that evaluates the impact of buildings on health and wellness. She says that to qualify, "there has to be vegan spaces, organic spaces for eating, and it really focuses on the wellbeing of the people that live here, the animals, and the biodiversity of the space itself."
'You need to have a plan in place'
With previous World Expos, many sites have become "white elephants," says Tim van Vrijaldenhoven, an independent expert in urban planning, and author of "Reaching Beyond the Gold: The Impact of Global Events on Urban Development." In those cases, the space hasn't been needed by the city, and so hasn't been incorporated into wider urban development. Dubai is different, Vrijaldenhoven says, because it's a rapidly growing city and the site is being integrated into an urban master plan.
He adds that it's vital that Dubai moves ahead with the development of District 2020 quickly, before people lose interest. "After the event, with every Expo, the momentum is gone," he says. "You need to immediately have a plan in place for transformation."
Vrijaldenhoven questions the feasibility of making a city pedestrian-friendly in a location where temperatures often reach 50 degrees Celsius, and adds that sites disconnected from the rest of a city, risk becoming "end of the line" locations. "Unless it's integrated into a network, with a strategically good location, it's difficult for people to make the decision to start living there," he explains.
But he's generally impressed with the plans. "I think that this is finally a right answer to how to deal with the legacy of Expos and not turning into white elephants," he says.
The Al Wasl dome, the centerpiece of Dubai's Expo 2020, will form part of the new District 2020 urban zone.
People and businesses will be able to move onto the Expo site as of October this year and companies including Siemens and Terminus have already secured their spots. The UK and the UAE plan to partner to open a hydrogen innovation center on site, with the goal of speeding up decarbonization in aviation and shipping. And Italy's imposing pavilion will transform into a center for the preservation of archaeological artifacts and art recovered from war zones.
"It's a lot of education, a lot of innovation, a lot of entertainment as well," says Al Khatib. "In 10 years, I imagine it's a very busy site."
"now" - Google News
April 02, 2022 at 03:25PM
https://ift.tt/3qz4Y8N
Now Expo is over, will District 2020 leave a positive legacy for Dubai? - CNN
"now" - Google News
https://ift.tt/G3CP9KQ
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Now Expo is over, will District 2020 leave a positive legacy for Dubai? - CNN"
Post a Comment