Santiago Calatrava hot streak continues with bird-inspired UAE pavilion for Dubai 2020 Expo
Santiago Calatrava will design a pavilion inspired by a falcon in flight for the Dubai World Expo 2020.
The National Media Council of the United Arab Emirates has selected the Swiss-Spanish architect to create its expo showpiece, which will represent the nation to the 25 million visitors expected to attend the architecture festival.
Calatrava’s wing-shaped structure is expected to cover up to 15,000sq m (161,500sq dt) in the centre of Dubai’s 200-hectare exhibition zone. It will include numerous exhibition areas, an auditorium, food and beverage outlets and VIP lounges, and is expected to meet LEED Platinum sustainable building standards.
Calatrava’s design was chosen ahead of 11 rival concepts following a seven-month international design competition. Each design was evaluated according to how it balances the UAE’s past and future and how fully it expresses the expo’s theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.
“The proposed design of the UAE Pavilion captures the story we want to tell the world about our nation,” said National Media Council chairman H.E. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. “Our late founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, used falconry expeditions to forge connections between tribes and to create a distinct national identity which ultimately led to the founding of the United Arab Emirates.
“Now, the falcon design will symbolise how we are connecting the UAE to the minds of the world and how as a global community we can soar to new heights through partnership and cooperation."
Reflecting on his appointment, a “deeply honoured” Calatrava said: “I am confident that the final design will be a symbol of the bold and daring spirit of the UAE, reflected in what is poised to be the most inclusive and global Expo in history.”
The pavilion project will be managed by Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar, who are currently developing a sustainable green urban development called Masdar City in the emirate. A budget has not yet been revealed.
A host of big-name architects are expected to have their work showcased at the Dubai Expo, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021. Foster + Partners, BIG and Grimshaw will design the event’s three main pavilions following a separate high-profile design competition.
Calatrava’s studio are expanding their presence in the UAE, and have been commissioned to design The Tower – a mixed-use structure in Dubai that will be taller than the Burj Khalifa.
2016 is shaping into a highly successful year for Calatrava, who has also seen the openings of his Oculus in New York and Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro. In October he will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 2016 LEAF International conference in London.
Santiago Calatrava Dubai Expo 2020 UAE pavilion architecture designSantiago Calatrava to receive lifetime achievement award at LEAF Architect Awards
'A signal to the world': New details emerge about Calatrava's US$1bn Dubai tower
Foster + Partners, BIG and Grimshaw win architecture competition for Dubai 2020 Expo pavilions
Santiago Calatrava's World Trade Center Hub opens in New York
'As great as the Burj Khalifa': Santiago Calatrava wins contract for futuristic Dubai tower
Santiago Calatrava's Museum of Tomorrow opens in Rio
'True artist' Calatrava awarded European Prize for Architecture in New York
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
Across Denmark, a charity is turning industrial buildings into centres for street sport and art. As the concept prepares to go global, we speak to the people making it happen