2024 | Professional

French Design Awards Gold Winner

KSA Pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha

Entrant Company

EXPO Pavilion Group

Category

Interior Design - Exhibits, Pavilions & Exhibitions

Client's Name

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia

Country / Region

Italy

In response to the Expo 2023 theme, “Green Desert, Better Environment”, the KSA Pavilion embodies KSA’s commitment to sustainability and inspires visitors to action. Our design creatively integrates heritage and culture with futuristic technology.
Our design articulates KSA’s Tuwaiq mountain into the architectural frame of the pavilion. It is a fully reusable LED media façade, upon which plays a film depicting the rich diversity of the landscapes of KSA. These landscapes are also embodied by different xeriscapes encircling the pavilion, each represented by distinct graphic elements, shapes, and materials. Upon entering the pavilion, visitors are transported to a lush, green garden, where KSA’s efforts of sustainability have been realised.
There are three entrances into the pavilion, to accommodate the vastness of this allocated space. Further, we strategically segmented the space into distinct chapters, ensuring that visitors receive the same quality of content even without passing through all the exhibits.
In the garden, we created a visually striking and interactive experience for the visitors through the creative usage of interpretive plinths that vary in size and functional application. The triangular shape of these plinths is a nod to the traditional Najdi architecture. Each exhibit comprises introductory standing plinths and reader-level plinths that convey more in-depth, focused information.
The journey from the outer garden continues to the indoor space, further elaborating upon KSA’s sustainable future. Here, a wide spectrum of innovative design elements, ranging from holographic pillars to multi touch interactive screens, mirrors the futuristic nature of green initiatives. The experience culminates in an immersive 360º experience show, addressing the process of greening through abstract, aesthetic, and poignant stories. Each takes place in a Saudi Arabian landscape illustrates sustainable practices and conservation efforts. They were brought to life through 4K projectors, an LED ceiling, and 18 moving headlights.
Overall, the KSA pavilion is not just a space but a narrative in design, leading visitors through a thoughtfully crafted, aesthetically pleasing, and informative experience. It stands as a symbol of KSA’s deep-rooted connection to nature and its ambitious journey towards a greener, more sustainable future.

Credits

UOOU studio
Gianluca Santosuosso
Nana Boitran
UOOU studio
Shiryu Kawamura
Jasper van Baar
Arjan Habraken
Mark Niewenhuis
Virginia Zanuso
Edwin Masman
Pelle Herfst
Erik de Wildt
Michel Van Tilborg
Jeroen Dessauvagie
Mike Pearse
EXPO Pavilion Group
Minjung Park
Sandra Keus
Hong Kim
Carlo Walhof
Gerben Copal
Anghela Alò
Matteo Fumagalli
Olivier de Baere
Bob van Cleemputte
Martin vd Berg
Roy van Venrooij
Bart Engelvaart
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