Asif Khan unveils huge woven gateways for Expo 2020 Dubai
by Stu Robarts | 10 Feb 2020
The portals capture the very transcendental moment the region is experiencing as it hosts its first World Expo – the celebration not only of UAE’s heritage, but also the future.
– Asif Khan
Three huge entry gateways for Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Asif Khan, will welcome visitors onto the site from 20 October, with a futuristic exploration of the traditional mashrabiya.
Mashrabiyas are a type of decorative, projecting window often used to control light and airflow that typically found on Arabic residences.
Khan's Expo Entry Portals, which are part of his wider work on the expo's public realm, are said to be inspired by the aesthetic of the region and are the result of a three-year iterative design process working with a specialist manufacturer.
The self-supporting portals are woven entirely from strands of ultra-lightweight carbon fibre composite, the strength of which allows for dimensions of 21m (69ft) high and 30m (98ft) long.
The woven composition of the structures only becomes apparent in close proximity, while from further away it is suggested they appear to be composed of translucent panels.
Its geometric pattern provides not only structural strength but also material efficiency, wind permeability, shading and also speed of manufacturing.
The portals feature two large doors each measuring 21m (69ft) high and (34ft) wide that will be opened every morning of the 173 days of Expo 2020 Dubai "in a symbolic act of welcoming the world."
Khan's work on the wider public realm will see the creation of a 6km (4mi) linear park alongside a running track, walking paths of soft and hard materials and places to rest.
Khan said: "The portals will be the first and last encountering moment for all who make the journey to Expo 2020 Dubai, and these capture the very transcendental moment the region is experiencing as it hosts its first World Expo – the celebration not only of UAE’s heritage, but also the future.
"Designing the public realm for Expo 2020 Dubai is a seminal moment for my practice; each aspect of the design invites visitors to immerse themselves in shared Islamic culture, art and language in dialogue with the future spirit of Expo. As visitors explore the many facets of the public realm designs, from the Expo Entry Portals to the seating I made with Lara Captan, I hope it leaves them with an unforgettable sense and experience of place."
Dubai Expo 2020 Dubai Asif Khan
The portals are woven entirely from strands of ultra-lightweight carbon fibre composite / Helene Binet
The portals feature two large doors each measuring 21m (69ft) high and 10.5m (34ft) wide / Helene Binet
The self-supporting structures measure 21m (69ft) high and 30m (98ft) long / Helene Binet
The gateways are a futuristic exploration of the traditional mashrabiya / Helene Binet
From a distance, the portals may appear to be composed of translucent panels / Helene Binet
The woven composition of the structures only becomes apparent in close proximity / Helene Binet
Their geometric pattern provides not only structural strength but also material efficiency, wind permeability, shading and also speed of manufacturing / Helene Binet
The portals are the result of a three-year iterative design process working with a specialist manufacturer / Helene Binet
The doors will be opened every morning of the 173 days of Expo 2020 Dubai / Helene Binet
The daily door-opening will be 'a symbolic act of welcoming the world' / Helene Binet
More news
MVRDV design "urban living room" with lush greenery and organic, stacked terraces
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
MVRDV is one of two finalists in a competition to design the Shimao ShenKong International Centre, with a proposal that combines stacked terraces, curved organic forms and lush greenery. The competition sought designs for a municipal facility for Universiade New Town in China that would accommodate a variety of different amenities and green spaces. MVRDV'S 101,300sq m (1 million sq ft) Shenzhen Terraces proposal was conceived as a new urban
Coronavirus delays opening of teamLab SuperNature Macao
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
The opening of teamLab 's SuperNature Macao museum of immersive digital artworks in Macau, China, has been delayed until further notice as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Originally due to open this month, the 5,000sq m (54,000sq ft), the attraction is located in an expo hall at Sands Resorts Macao 's Venetian Macao hotel. It comprises a "labyrinthine" layout of gallery spaces that visitors will make their way through
Brinkworth installs floating skate bowl in San Francisco store
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
Retail designers Brinkworth have designed a new store in San Francisco for fashion brand Supreme, with a floating skate bowl that reflects the brand's skate culture roots. The store itself covers 2,800sq ft (260sq m) and was renovated having been in a state of dilapidation. The design for the space is sparse, with exposed brick and exposed steel framework throughout, while a large glazed frontage allows passersby to see inside.
GOCO Hospitality creates spa in the sky in Dubai
by Megan Whitby | 21 Feb 2020
GOCO Hospitality has conceptualised and designed a spa on the sky bridge of Dubai’s recently opened luxury hotel Address Sky View. Emaar Hospitality Group owns the property and has opened a collection of hotels in Dubai under the name Address Hotels + Resorts, including Address Sky View and Address Fountain Views, where GOCO Hospitality was also responsible for the spa concept and operation design. The 169-room-hotel is spread over 13
C.F. Møller is creating a waterfront ecovillage with green urban surroundings in Denmark
by Stu Robarts | 21 Feb 2020
Already the architect developing the Sundsholmerne ecovillage on the waterfront of the new Stigsborg district in Aalborg, Denmark, C.F. Møller has now also been chosen to create its surrounding green space. The Sundsholmerne sustainable community is part of the 54ha (133ac) Stigsborg Waterfront project, which is transforming old industrial sites into new neighbourhoods. Covering 5,000sq m (54,000sq ft), Sundsholmerne will feature a variety of housing with communal facilities that will
MJM and Hansenbuilt transform derelict loft into wellness-focussed co-working space
by Stu Robarts | 20 Feb 2020
MJM Architect and Hansenbuilt Design have converted a derelict loft space in Victoria, Canada, into a co-working space and social club with a focus on health and connecting with others. Kwench was founded by Tessa McLoughlin to evolve and expand what a co-working space could be, with the aim of making its users healthier and happier. It is based on promoting a balance of knowledge, wellness, experiences, novelty, curiosity, and
Corinthia Palace Hotel to open Athenaeum Spa after €9m revamp
by Megan Whitby | 20 Feb 2020
The original Corinthia Hotel in Malta – the Corinthia Palace Hotel – has revealed further details of its new Athenaeum Spa, which is scheduled to open in March 2020 following a €9m (US$10m, £7.5m), year-long refurbishment. Built in the 19th century as a private villa for the chief justice of Malta, the hotel was used as living quarters by British Forces during the Second World War. In 1959 it was
Hassell's grass-covered dome will celebrate the stars at Jodrell Bank
by Stu Robarts | 20 Feb 2020
Construction has begun on a Hassell -designed grass-covered dome pavilion at Jodrell Bank to help celebrate the site’s heritage and the beginnings of radio astronomy when it opens in 2021. Jodrell Bank is located in Cheshire, UK, and is home to one of the world’s largest and most powerful radio telescopes, the Lovell Telescope, which is used to explore deep space. The pavilion, built for the University of Manchester, will
Virgin Voyages takes delivery of its first cruise ship
by Stu Robarts | 20 Feb 2020
Virgin Voyages has taken delivery of its first cruise ship, which has reached completion after three years of construction. Scarlet Lady will set sail in March 2020 with more than 2,770 guests and 1,150 crew on board. It weighs in at 60,000 tonnes (66,000 tons), boasts 17 decks and uses 4,800kW of power. The ship is one of four that Virgin Voyages has ordered, with the others due for delivery
New York's highest outdoor residential amenity space opens at Fifteen Hudson Yards
by Stu Robarts | 19 Feb 2020
A new amenities space, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with interiors by Rockwell Group, has opened 900ft (274m) up in the air at Fifteen Hudson Yards in New York. Skytop is part of the building's 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) of wellness, entertaining and leisure amenities and is located in the cloverleaf-shaped curves of the building’s crown. The 6,000sq ft (560sq m) of amenities it offers include an open-air terrace
Studio Ramoprimo's clothes store is a hub for fashion lovers, events and exhibitions
by Stu Robarts | 19 Feb 2020
Studio Ramoprimo have created a store for fashion retailer TGY conceived to go beyond just selling clothes and be a hub for fashion lovers, events and exhibitions. The venue in Shenyang, China, is aimed at inspiring people to talk about lifestyle, creatives to organise industry functions and photographers to host shoots. Covering 600sq m (6,600sq ft), it combines a curated shop, a flexible event area, a temporary exhibition space where
RJDL's café design promotes the "infinite possibilities" of shipping container construction
by Stu Robarts | 19 Feb 2020
RJDL have created a café that is not only constructed from recycled shipping containers for sustainability, but that is designed in such a way as to espouse their use in construction for that reason. The Infinity Café is laid out in the shape of the infinity symbol, with the theme used to "emphasise the infinite possibilities of using a shipping container as a structural unit". Covering an area of 2,880sq
SWA's strategically-placed “dog intercepts” keep park human-friendly
by Stu Robarts | 19 Feb 2020
A newly opened park in downtown Dallas has been designed by SWA to be welcoming to dogs but to minimise their impact and ensure it remains a pleasant place for people to spend time. Pacific Plaza Park is one of four new green spaces that Parks for Downtown Dallas plans to have introduced to the area by 2022, with the aim of providing more outdoor amenities for its growing population.
Mario Cucinella Architects' mixed-use mountain to wrap around a green oasis
by Stu Robarts | 18 Feb 2020
Mario Cucinella Architects have designed a new mixed-use building for Tirana, Albania, that is inspired by the shape of the nearby Mount Dajti and is wrapped around a central scoop filled with greenery. The 93m (305ft)-tall, 24-storey Ekspozita Building will house a variety of commercial, residential and public amenity spaces. Occupying three and a half sides of a square footprint and tapering as it rises, the building will accommodate commercial
Edwardian swimming baths restored for use as arts venue
by Stu Robarts | 18 Feb 2020
Donald Insall Associates have completed restoration work of Edwardian architecture at Grade II listed heritage swimming baths that are being converted for use as an arts and culture venue. Moseley Road Baths are said to be the only baths in the UK built before 1914 to have continuously hosted swimming since they opened, which was in 1907. They are architecturally significant due to the quality and completeness of their interior,
Carles Enrich Studio's timber scaffolding reactivates 13th-century lookout tower
by Stu Robarts | 18 Feb 2020
Carles Enrich Studio have created a timber frame for the ruin of a 13th-century tower in Catalonia, Spain, that not only helps to support it, but that also provides a means for visitors to explore the heritage structure. Located in the municipality of Puig-reig, Merola’s Tower was constructed as a lookout point, but is said to have been largely destroyed as a result of earth tremors in the area during
Millwall FC reveals AFL Architects designs for proposed stadium redevelopment
by Stu Robarts | 17 Feb 2020
Millwall FC has revealed designs by AFL Architects for the proposed redevelopment of its stadium, The Den, to make it "fit for Premier League football". Redevelopment of the stadium has become a possibility again following the termination of a conditional land sale agreement for the leased site on which The Den is situated in the Bermondsey area of London by the local mayor and cabinet earlier this month. Although the
Claesson Koivisto Rune Architects convert 1920s Tokyo bank into hotel
by Stu Robarts | 17 Feb 2020
Claesson Koivisto Rune Architects have converted a former 1920s bank building in Tokyo into what they describe as a "micro-complex of creative eateries, bars, gathering spots, and Swedish-minimalism-meets-Japanese-heritage design." Located in the Nihonbashi Kabutocho area of the city, K5 Tokyo is a hotel with a restaurant, a wine bar, a coffee shop, a cocktail bar and a beer hall. Its redevelopment took only 14 months from conception through planning and
BXBstudio's Symbiotic House puts people back in touch with nature
by Stu Robarts | 17 Feb 2020
BXBstudio Bogusław Barnaś and Studio Projektowe Paweł Jarosz have designed a house that is aimed at rebuilding relationships between humans and their surroundings. The Symbiotic House is based on the traditional values of living in harmony with nature, but integrates technology to provide a modern and convenient way of life. Constructed primarily of timber and glass, it has three main sections – a section for living in, a greenhouse section
Lemay's clever design creates a sleek but efficient aquatics centre
by Stu Robarts | 17 Feb 2020
Lemay 's "judicious" design for an aquatics centre in Canada ensures it is not only sleek and sympathetic to its context, but that it uses energy-saving measures to moderate its running costs. The Beloeil Aquatics Centre was completed last year with little in the way of fanfare, but it shows that attractive and intelligent design can be delivered on a modest budget. The CAD$16.5m (US$12.5m, €11.5m, £9.5m), 55,000sq ft (5,100sq
Alexis Dornier creates "experimental treetop boutique hotel" in Bali forest
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
Alexis Dornier has created an "experimental treetop boutique hotel" located in Ubud on the island of Bali, Indonesia, with a mix of part-industrial, part-natural structures in a tropical forest setting. In designing the 10ac (4ha) Lift hotel, Dornier sought to forgo the typical concrete-based development approach on the island in favour of low-rise and treehouse-like structures made of metal elements and natural materials. Each of the structures has a different
Rothko Chapel to reopen after Architecture Research Office renovation
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
The Rothko Chapel will reopen in Houston this June after a 14-month restoration project by Architecture Research Office that is part of a wider $30m (€28m, £23m) masterplan project the studio is carrying out. Opened in 1971, the chapel was created as a place for interfaith worship and contemplation by its founders – artist Mark Rothko and John and Dominique de Menil – and has 14 huge Rothko canvases on
Shortlist revealed for National Railway Museum's Central Hall
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
Five proposals have been shortlisted for the design of the National Railway Museum 's Central Hall in York, UK, which is scheduled to open in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2025. Run in partnership with Malcolm Reading Consultants, the design competition sought proposals for a £16.5m ($22m, €20m), 4,500sq m (48,400sq ft) centrepiece building to provide a new entrance space and integrate the museum estate. It will house
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale features $35m penthouse
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, designed by architect Kobi Karp with interiors by Tara Bernerd, boasts a $35m (€32m, £27m) penthouse with a rooftop putting green. Developed by Four Seasons in collaboration with Fort Partners, the 22-storey oceanfront development is aimed at reflecting "the very best of beachfront living" and will comprise 148 guest rooms and 83 private residences when it opens in 2021. Guests and residents
£67m Eden Project attraction to open in Northern Ireland
by Andy Knaggs | 13 Feb 2020
A new £67m (US$86.9m, €79.8m) cultural and environmental Eden Project tourist attraction, designed by Grimshaw Architects, is to be built in Northern Ireland and is expected to open in 2023. Eden Project Foyle will cover a 100-hectare (250-acre) site along the banks of the River Foyle near Derry-Londonderry, brining previously inaccessible land, three historic walled gardens and an 18th-century icehouse back into use. The destination will feature a range of
Counterspace's Serpentine Pavilion will be both one and many places for gathering
by Stu Robarts | 13 Feb 2020
Counterspace have been chosen to design the Serpentine Pavilion for 2020 with a design based on gathering spaces and community places around London that will be accompanied by a public programme across the city. Now in its 20th year, the annual pavilion commission is described by the Serpentine as "a global platform for experimental projects by some of the world's greatest architects." This year's architects from the Johannesburg-based practice –
Liverpool FC unveils updated KSS-designed expansion proposals for Anfield
by Stu Robarts | 13 Feb 2020
Liverpool FC has revealed updated KSS -designed plans for the expansion of the Anfield Road stand at its Anfield stadium and has begun a second-stage public consultation of the proposals. Plans to expand Anfield, which were first revealed in 2014, were developed following the takeover of the club by FSG in 2010 – putting an end to discussions about a potential move to a new stadium. Work to expand the
OMA's Bali hotel provides open space for guests and locals to mix
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
OMA 's first hotel in Bali has been designed both for guests and to engage the local community, with an open space for cultural events and leisure activities. The open space, or platform, at Potato Head Studios runs from the hotel down to the beach at Seminyak and is based on the raised and ground-level courtyards of Indonesian and Balinese homes. It provides a flexible stage where guests and locals
Glazed wooden Tchaikovsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater will be a monument to the arts
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
wHY Architecture are to build a monolithic but welcoming glazed, wooden theatre in a new park on the Kama River as a beacon for the emerging arts district in Perm, Russia. The firm began working on the Tchaikovsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in September 2019 and their design was given the go-ahead in January 2020 by a vote of approval from the City Council of Perm, the planning commission
Wafai Architecture's Seashell House gets residents close to nature
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
Wafai Architecture have designed a sustainably constructed house that is inspired by the shape of a seashell and is aimed at helping residents live close to nature. The Seashell House, the first project for which is currently in discussion, is reminiscent of a junonia shell in terms of its folded shape and its patternation. The single-storey structure's compact 240sq m (2,600sq ft) footprint means a limited impact on a site
latest jobs
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
features
cladkit product news
The Keglen collection is made up of four different pendants
BIG Ideas, the technology arm of renowned architecture firm Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG), has partnered with Danish lighting manufacturer Louis
...
The Anthénea pod is a luxury floating suite that could be used as a spa or treatment suite
Naval architect Jean-Michel Ducancelle has designed a solar-powered floating hotel suite aimed at offering an eco-friendly and nomadic place for
...
cladkit product news
The Corrugation Lights were inspired by midcentury and post-war furniture making techniques
London-based designers Tino Seubert and Theodora Alfredsdottir have teamed up to create Corrugation Lights, a lighting collection inspired by midcentury
...
Gate of Bright Lights was designed to show visitors how screens and digital interfaces have replaced physical objects the gateway between us and the rest of the world.
Multidisciplinary design firm Space Popular has created a video installation for the Gwangmyeongmun Gate at the Deoksugung Palace in Seoul,
...
cladkit product news
The Eclipse Pendant light was inspired by the lunar eclipse
John Pomp Studios, a design practice based in Philadelphia in the US, has expanded its Tidal collection to include five
...
The Goodies But Oldies collection features three pieces made from repurposed MDF table tops
Daniel Svahn, a Stockholm-based furniture designer, has created a new range of sustainable furnishings, made from recycled MDF tabletops. Svahn,
...
