Abu Dhabi, Jan 16th, 2011 (WAM)– The ‘Dunes’, UAE’s prestigious pavilion that once stood tall on the bank of Shanghai’s Huangpu River eliciting the admiration of millions of visitors during the Expo Shanghai 2010 will soon be recreated on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island overlooking the Arabian sea.
Once recreated on the Island, it will give all those who live in the UAE as well as the visitors from around the world, the opportunity to watch this cultural masterpiece made possible by the National Media Council.
The beauty of ‘Dunes’, which was described as the most stylish among the pavilions of over 189 countries who participated in the Shanghai Expo, is not confined to its symmetric form, but also lies in its reflective nature of its surroundings, which all help the visitors to have a realistic image of the UAE.
The pavilion is slowly being dismantled for relocating it to the Saadiyat Island, the world’s cultural destination in making. The process is being supported by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works & Housing, Chairman of the National Media Council said that it is the first time in the history of UAE’s foreign participations in trade exhibitions that its national pavilion is dismantled and re-built, providing a distinguished cultural landmark and tourist attraction for the visitors from home and abroad.
The minister said in a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the National Media Council is keen in its future plans to take advantage of national pavilions participating in Expos and design them in accordance with the requirements of sustainable development.
He noted that the idea of designing the pavilion in the form of sand dunes was inspired by Foreign Minister H.H Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to reflect the cultural heritage in the UAE.
The pavilion remains a reference to the symbolic feature of the desert landscape shared by each of the seven emirates in the UAE.
Like sand dunes, the pavilion, designed by Foster Partners, appears rough and textured on the side that bears the full force of the wind and smooth on the other side. The northern elevation is more porous to admit natural light, while the southern elevation has a solid facade, to minimize solar gain. A stainless steel skin, treated to appear golden, encloses the jewel-like shell.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak noted that theinnovative pavilion also obtained several international accolades and remained as the most popular international pavilion.
A survey undertaken by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of the top universities of China, had revealed that ‘Dunes’ was the most popular one among the pavilions of 189 countries who participated in the event.