THEME: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Future
SIZE: 3,716 sqm
CLIENT: U.S. Department of State
DESIGN: Thinkwell Group Inc., Woods Bagot Pty Ltd.
FABRICATION: Mint Creative Production, Adirondack Studios
ADDITIONAL FIRMS: Electra Exhibitions LLC, CTME, TECS Event Services, SpaceX, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Diligent Robotics, Cornell University, Zone Display Case, Maggs Bros. Ltd., Intellectual Properties Management, Zipline, Nanoracks, Inoksservis, Glidepath, Lobo and Listone, Honeywell, National Capital Flag Co., Art Sign Works, Mohawk, Herman Miller, Kohler, Berhardt/IFL, UPS, Dietl Artifact Shipping
PHOTOS: USA Pavilion
Guided by the theme “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Future,” the USA Pavilion highlights the United States’ technological innovations, as well as how the ideals of liberty have given the American people opportunities to become global leaders responsible for creating that future. Told through seven immersive exhibits, the pavilion celebrates this unique American spirit that harnesses creativity, rewards risk, and creates a brighter future for all.
Stepping onto a moving walkway, visitors begin their journey in the first area, “Freedom Creates the Future.” Featuring a half-scale recreation of the Statue of Liberty’s iconic torch, visitors journey through an immersive media presentation in which the torch transforms, showcasing its many iterations over the past 135 years. The idea of freedom is further explored in the second exhibit, “American Innovation,” which includes Thomas Jefferson’s Quran representing the freedom of religion, and Alexander Graham Bell’s early telephone representing the freedom of speech.
Meanwhile, the third exhibit, “Agents of Change,” features the diverse voices and faces from several of today’s most innovative up-and-coming American companies via a series of rotating cube towers. The fourth exhibit, “The Sky Is No Longer the Limit,” explores bold ideas for creating the future, such as quantum computing, the democratization of space, sustainable energy, and more. Presented on a horizontal proscenium 39 feet over the audience, the show features dimensional set pieces (including a 16-foot-diameter sphere) that silently glide into the massive media scenes overhead.
After the show, visitors explore the natural wonders of America’s National Parks via the fifth exhibit, “America the Beautiful,” comprising 32-foot-tall photographic prints from award-winning American immigrant photographer, QT Luong. In the sixth exhibit, “Explore The USA,” visitors come face-to-face with the people, technology, and organizations that make the USA “the Land of Opportunity.” Here, guests can touch a moon rock, see a piece of a meteorite from Mars, and explore a model of the Mars Opportunity rover.
As a grand finale, a 1-1 replica of the 137-foot-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sits outside the pavilion. At night, a dramatic projection-mapped show projected on the rocket’s surface details the history of American space travel. The outside of the pavilion also boasts an eye-catching exterior facade made of interlocking metal stars designed by renowned architecture firm Woods Bagot. The space between the facade and wall system allows for the use of connected and dynamic lighting effects that change throughout the evening to create the effect that the pavilion is in constant motion.
