Luxembourg Pavilion for the Dubai 2020 Expo
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2017
The Expo is usually perceived as a theme park for architects. It presents us with a collection of extravagant pavilions where every country tries to stand out by "shouting" louder than the next one.
Luxembourg is a small but powerful country with a crucial role to play in the European Union. A place where we come to meet others and plan the future that we want to build together. That is how we wanted to present it in Dubai.
From the outside we perceive a massive block of terracota walls covered with a metallic filigree inspired by the arabic mashrabiya but made of a repetition of the "X" symbol from the luxembourgish logo.
We find the entrance to the pavilion venturing through a dense forest of metallic pillars. An image that recalls at the same time the country's steel industry and the lush forests that dominate it's romantic landscape.
Once inside we discover a clearing in the forest. The Central space of the pavilion where everything meets. A patio that continuous to quote the traditional arabic architecture while acting as a strong reference to Luxembourg City. The country's off-centered meeting point.
