Expo 2020 Dubai: Germany unveils dazzling design for its pavilion

Europe's most populous country and largest economy shows off plans for Dh200 million 'Campus Germany'

Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY bei Nacht: Frontansicht / The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY by night: facade. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai
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Germany has unveiled its pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai - complete with a 'vertical campus' that will show off the latest in sustainable design and artificial intelligence.

'Campus Germany' is the latest country pavilion design to be shown to the public and will be constructed at the exposition site in Dubai South.

Visitors will be taken on a journey assisted by a intelligent assistance system called ‘IAMU’, which will act as an invisible companion to visitors, providing them with information as they move through the building.

Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Atrium/The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: atrium. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai
Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Atrium/The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: atrium. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai

Ernst Peter Fischer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE, unveiled the plans on Wednesday.

Designed by Cologne-based agency facts and fiction and Berlin-based architects LAVA, Campus Germany will be located in Expo 2020's Sustainability District. The 'vertical campus' will consists of separate modules that converge at a spacious atrium with a stage and restaurant, creating an structure that reflects the country's underlying theme - 'knowledge, research and communication'.

Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Front / The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: front. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai
Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Front / The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: front. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai

Dietmar Schmitz, commissioner general of the German Pavilion, said that the "pavilion concept has been designed to seamlessly combine exhibition and architecture, with a storyline that will grasp visitors’ interest and hold it from start to finish, inviting them to engage with the content and be actively involved in the experience".

Mr Schmitz, who has organised expos for Germany all over the world, said that the 2020 event in Dubai offers a very different experience from previous events.

"When we took part in the expo in Shanghai, 95 per cent of the visitors came from China," he said.

"It's a fantastic opportunity in Dubai because the visitors are going to be all coming from different backgrounds. We are led to believe the figure may be around 70 per cent of visitors coming from international backgrounds, this makes it a unique and fascinating opportunity."

The theme of Campus Germany is sustainability.

Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Ausstellung, „Biodiversity Lab“/The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: exhibition, “Biodiversity Lab”. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai
Der Deutsche Pavillon CAMPUS GERMANY: Ausstellung, „Biodiversity Lab“/The German Pavilion CAMPUS GERMANY: exhibition, “Biodiversity Lab”. Courtesy Koelnmesse GmbH, / Expo 2020 Dubai

"It is an obvious choice given the fact that Germany is the place where the energy revolution, known as 'energiewende' was born," he said.

"It is a place where science, industry and large parts of civil society are committed to securing a sustainable future and that is the message we want to convey in Dubai."

He refuted suggestions that expos are outdated and offer little value to the modern world.

"We humans need to see things for ourselves by smelling, tasting and hearing them," he said.

He said that visitors can see the entire world, at an expo, without all the travel involved.

"You cannot get that experience from a video or website," he said.

The German government has allocated almost Dh215m for the Campus Germany, an investment that is worth every fils, according to Mr Schmitz.

"Expos are always a way for Germany to market itself and past pavillions have been successful and popular," he said.

"Visitors get a lasting impression with helps strenghten the German brand across the world."

He added that the project will need an operational staff of 200. Some of these will be trained in Germany and flown over the UAE, while others will be recruited here in the Middle East.

"The requirement is they are able to speak English, German and Arabic," said Mr Schmitz.

Luxembourg was the first to break ground on construction in April and New Zealand's impressive design generated headlines at home and abroad.

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