ADDITIONAL FIRMS: ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC, Laing O Rourke Middle East, Permasteelisa Gartner, Proscape, Tiger Steel, Serapid, Weta Workshop
PHOTOS: Chris Goldstraw
Alif – The Mobility Pavilion is one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s three signature pavilions based on the sub-themes of Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity. The Alif has been a collaborative project in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai addressing the overall theme of Connecting Minds and Creating the Future and providing a platform to foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration globally.
The Mobility Pavilion, named Alif (after the first letter of the Arabic alphabet and symbolizing the beginning of progress and new horizons), occupies a dedicated plaza at the south entrance to the site. Its ribbed and curved shape was designed to evoke movement, and its highly reflective stainless-steel cladding was inspired by chrome fenders and aircraft wings. The pavilion reflects movement from the surrounding areas making the building seem alive and in motion. The visible lines of the building’s layers hint at how we are all connected, even when physically far apart. The concentric rings carry out into the landscape, allowing it to warp and flow around the various features. An amphitheatre and a second stage, as well as a piazza surrounding the building, host mobility-related performances, events, symposiums, and demonstrations.
Internally, the display areas are divided into three key zones, each forming a petal in the tri-foil plan. Visitors enter directly into the central core, which features the world’s largest passenger lift, capable of holding more than 160 persons, (38 for social distancing restrictions). This moving platform takes everyone up to the third level where they can then move down through successive interconnected galleries to the lower ground floor, viewing innovative, immersive, and interactive visitor experiences focused on mobility.
A partly underground, partly open-air 330-meter track will allow visitors to see cutting-edge mobility devices in action, as well as witness mass produced technology that has the opportunity to vastly improve the quality of life for people in developing countries.
Sustainability was at the forefront of the design, and the Mobility Pavilion has been designed to LEED Gold standard. It is a self-shading building, and its metal cladding reflects heat. Photovoltaic panels on the roof take advantage of solar energy, and the landscape design is sensitive to water use. After Expo 2020, the Mobility Pavilion will continue in legacy, becoming an integral element of District 2020.
