Climb every mountain: how the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is a symbol of recovery from Covid-19


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Visitors to the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will be able to walk through a cloud of fog to give them the feeling of hiking to the summit of a Swiss mountain, in a symbol of revival from the coronavirus pandemic.

Recreating a message of hope in difficult times, architects and engineers are preparing a special experience at the pavilion on the Dubai South Expo site.

A hill is being built from recycled stone, with high-tech sound and visuals to be added to recreate a panoramic view from the top of a mountain.

Structural work on the pavilion was completed on Monday.

In April 2016, Switzerland was the first country to confirm its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: Swiss Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai
The Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: Swiss Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai

Five years on, organisers say the 8.5 million Swiss franc ($9m) project is central to the country’s resurgence efforts.

"In these difficult times for our export economy, our pavilion is a symbol and a driving force for the recovery we all need," Manuel Salchli, commissioner general of the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, told The National.

“The current health crisis has made us realise that we have to place greater emphasis on the value of solidarity and on international co-operation. As a result, Expo 2020 Dubai has turned into an essential global exchange platform.

“In these circumstances the Swiss pavilion activities are becoming even more valuable."

Planners promise a real fog with “millions of droplets forming a cloud above the ground".

The world awaits Expo 2020 Dubai:

The steel-frame pavilion, called Reflections, also makes uses of recycled concrete and large mirror panels.

“We will stage a unique experience of nature. Visitors will walk into a real sea of fog. This fog will give way to a sound and light show reproducing the passage from day to night over the Swiss Alps,” Mr Salchli said.

"The idea behind the sea of fog is inspired by a very unique and typical moment that we often experience in fall in Switzerland – hiking through a sea of fog and feeling this special emotion as the beautiful mountain panorama comes into view."

When visitors first approach the pavilion, they will see a large mirror facade and a red carpet before walking into the fog.

Expo guests will be fed fun facts about Switzerland, such as how people in the country eat about 10.3 kilograms of chocolate every year.

Tasting is on the cards for visitors, with a cafe set up by Swiss chocolate maker Sprüngli.

Exhibitions showing Swiss innovation will also be on display in line with Expo Dubai's themes of connecting the planet and people through opportunity and sustainability.

There are also plans for visits from the academic community and start-ups in Switzerland.

Work on the interior design and landscaping will finish in the next few months, with final construction to be completed by the end of August in time for the opening of the Expo in October.

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Beat Namibia by three wickets
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Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv

Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
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Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

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While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

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Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

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