French authorities have unveiled the architectural model of the country’s pavilion for the Expo 2020 Dubai event which will run from October 20 next year to April 10, 2021 in Dubai under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.

The pavilion has been designed by the Atelier du Prado Architectes and Celnikier & Grabli with ‘light’ as one of the key inspirations. The French Pavilion will express, through its name “Light, Lights”, France’s vision in terms of ecological and inclusive transition, combining a strong architectural gesture with an innovative immersive scenography.

The pavilion will be located in the area dedicated to Mobility, the other two themes being Sustainability and Opportunity.

The French Pavilion aims to not only highlight the fastest possible mobility, but also to embody Enlightenment, a symbol since the 18th century of sharing and spreading knowledge. It will promote the French innovation model, which makes it possible to conciliate sustainable development and international business competitiveness for connected and sustainable cities and territories. The facility goes beyond the limits of a regular building since it fuses materials and light in a single structure to showcase the content of permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region, has broken ground on its country pavilion for the Expo 2020 event.

The eco-friendly facility, which will come up on a 2,086-sq-m area, has been designed by Italian company Simmetrico, taking  inspiration from two natural elements – the tree and the leaf. The project is being supported by the Heydar Aliyev Centre (see Page 48).

The main aim is to offer a place where Expo visitors can reflect on major issues related to sustainable development, said senior officials at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“The pavilion will be light-filled, transparent and welcoming, coming to life with events and opportunities to meet – just like our country!” stated the General Commissioner Anar Alakbarov, assistant to the first-vice president and director of the Heydar Aliyev Centre.

The theme for the Azerbaijan Pavilion is ‘Seeds for the Future’, conveying the message that it is only by investing in the future – today – that people can truly achieve sustainable development and improve the places in which they live and work, he added.