ABU DHABI // Final touches are being made to the UAE pavilion at the World Expo Milano 2015 ahead of Friday’s opening.
Staff have received training for a final dress rehearsal, according to Wam, the state news agency.
The UAE made a strong impression at earlier expos. It was among the top 10 pavilions at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany, awarded a gold medal at Zaragoza, Spain, 2008, won the popular vote of the general public at Shanghai’s 2010 World Expo, and received a silver medal at the 2012 International Expo in Yeosu, South Korea.
Architect Foster + Partners took inspiration from the UAE’s landscape and traditional architecture while ensuring the pavilion also addresses the 2015 theme, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.
The UAE’s story embraces the theme of sustainability using its experience of a rapidly increasing population, a shortage of cultivable land and water.
The taste and aroma of Emirati food and the hospitality of the people will form part of a visitors’ journey, Wam said.
Imposing 12-metre-high walls form part of the striking entrance to the pavilion, and Emirati ambassadors will tell stories about the UAE.
The short film Family Tree will play in the Palm Cinema. It follows a young girl, Sara, as she learns that experiences of past generations can help in the quest for a sustainable future.
Another interactive presentation, Future Talk, aims to help visitors make a commitment to change their daily lives toward the common goal of feeding the planet.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
