Mission Possible - Opportunity Pavilion - Expo 2020 Dubai
The Opportunity Pavilion, designed by Kuwait and Madrid-based architects AGi, represents one of the three key themes of Expo Dubai 2020.
Under the Opportunity sub-theme, Expo 2020 explores how the potential of communities and individuals can be unleashed to help shape the future and create a level playing field for all, encapsulating the belief that every action has an effect, not only in our own communities, but across the world. The sub-theme 'Opportunity' is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
The 17 SDGs, already at the heart of the UAE's strategic vision, underpin the exhibition's activities and objectives before, during and after the six-month event. They run through the exhibition in all sorts of ways, from highlighting how countries are putting sustainable development at the heart of their strategies, to actively engaging, informing and inspiring millions of citizens to make a responsible difference.
However, it is in the Expo 2020 Opportunity Pavilion, known as 'Mission Possible', that the SDGs come alive for visitors. Here, through the pavilion's interactive experience, Expo shows how each of us has the opportunity to act, how small steps can lead to big changes and how unlocking opportunities at the local level can be used for the greater good.
Visitors to the pavilion are guided through three 'tracks' that focus on water, food and energy, three resources chosen because they represent basic human needs and are essential for progress.
Each track is facilitated by expert guides from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, whose innovative projects in their communities, simple solutions that required little resource or investment, are having a life-changing impact.
Members of their communities tell how, thanks to these ideas, their lives have been transformed through improvements that go beyond access to water, food and energy.
Through these stories, we not only see localised progress towards the SDGs, but we also witness the human potential within each of us as we strive to improve the lives of people and the planet we live on.
Illustrating the Opportunity Pavilion's message that small actions can have a huge ripple effect, the Guides and their communities are leading by example, inspiring us all to act and do things differently, or at least to be more conscious of the choices we make in our daily lives.
The concept of Opportunity was also reflected in the architecture of the pavilion. It has been designed as a large square, drawing on the rich urban history of squares over the millennia, from Roman times to the present day, and their role as gathering spaces where people come together to create and debate. This underlines the overarching goal and theme of Expo 2020 "Connecting Minds, Creating Futures", as well as the principle of bringing people together, which is also the goal of the SDGs.
Two other elements are highlighted in the pavilion design: terracotta and mesh. Terracotta is used throughout the floor and façade of the pavilion to represent the Earth we live on and to emphasise human activity and interaction. And, floating 32 metres above the ground, the mesh roof of the pavilion represents the clouds and the dreams of a better future that we all aspire to achieve. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)