What three of the Expo 2020 buildings will look like

One of the world’s most prestigious architectural competitions has finally come to a close. The prize? The opportunity for three architectural firms to design one of the themed Expo 2020 pavilions any way they wish. This is what they’ll look like… 

A competition that started last July has just closed, and ten out of thirteen of the world’s leading architectural firms have been eliminated – leaving a final three to design a pavilion each at Dubai’s World Expo 2020.

The design has to reflect the pavilions’ themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, under the Expo’s overall theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum spoke about the competition, saying, “The competition attracted a truly stellar line up of architectural firms that each put forward designs that impressed all those involved in the selection process. After careful study and consideration, three designs stood out, amidst tough competition, as great future structures that will mark our Expo as exceptional.”

#1: The Opportunity Pavilion

Winner: Bjarke Ingels Group

Who are they? A group of architects, designers, builders and thinkers based out of Copenhagen and New York. They’re known for innovation in architecture, and are even the team behind the design of Google’s new headquarters.

Here’s what it will look like: 

#2: The Mobility Pavilion

Winner: Foster and Partners

Who are they? British-based design and architectural firm Foster and Partners have designed many a high-profile building and project, including Dubai’s The Index building and Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

What will it look like… 

#3: The Sustainability Pavilion

Winner: Grimshaw Architects

Who are they? Grimshaw Architects have earned a reputation for building sustainable architecture, with their most famous piece of work being the Eden Project in Cornwall – which consisted of a series of climate-controlled domes containing a rainforest. The Sustainability Pavilion will carry on after the Expo to serve as a hub for promoting innovative technologies in Dubai.

Here’s what it will look like:

One major criteria of the competition is that all of the structures will have the malleability to live on in Dubai as landmarks and structures after the six-month-long expo finishes. And we think these three will fit right in here in Dubai…