Singapore Pavilion at 2020 World Expo Dubai: A mini Gardens by the Bay
A layered design approach and passive energy-saving strategies shows how it’s possible for architecture to co-exist in harmony with nature.
By Home & Decor Team -
At first glance, it looks like a treehouse. Or a building inexplicably growing out of a mass of thick, verdant greenery. The Singapore Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai is both these things and more – integrating architecture and nature, the pavilion is an embodiment of Singapore’s City in Nature vision.
Created by local design firm WOHA Architects, the project is one of 192 pavilions each representing a nation participating in the Expo 2020. These are divided into three districts: Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity, and will be on exhibition till 31 March 2022.
The Singapore Pavilion, located in the Sustainability District, is a demonstration of how the built environment can harmoniously co-exist with nature. Despite having one of the smallest plots in the Expo, the pavilion makes a stunning visual statement, mirroring Singapore’s own success in overcoming size limitations.
In order to make the most of the plot size, WOHA Architects took a layered design approach, stacking level upon level to create a multi-functional space. A winding canopy walk meanders through the different levels, ending at the Open Sky Market on the top level, an open platform that can be used for community engagement and interaction.
The entire structure is seemingly intertwined with a lush rainforest, with over 170 plant varieties including trees, shrubs and bright orchids. These will grow to be even denser and more verdant over the period of the Expo, giving visitors an immersive biophilic experience as they stroll up the Canopy Walk and providing natural cooling measures.
One can hardly tell where the exterior ends and the interior begins, since the greenery provides a seamless transition. Inside, three 9-metre-tall Garden Cones showcase exhibits on Singapore’s heritage and urban solutions, paying tribute to its global reputation as a City in a Garden.
The entire structure is net zero in its energy usage, generating its own electricity with a solar canopy on the roof. It also reduces the need for energy through natural solutions such as cross-ventilation and shade. To meet its water needs, it uses a reverse-osmosis desalination system, also powered by solar.
“Our climate crisis shows us that the impact of human actions on the planet cannot be ignored, and that urgent action needs to be taken,” says WOHA Architects. “This reinforces the aspirations of the SG Pavilion: to design a different future and to create a sustainable, resilient environment in which humans co-exist with nature.”
For more information, visit www.expo2020dubai.com.