Singapore Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai to showcase green city of the future
An artist's impression of the Canopy Walk at the Singapore Pavilion at Expo 2020, which was postponed from last year to 1 Oct this year.
PHOTO: Urban Redevelopment Authority
PUBLISHED ONAugust 23, 2021 5:51 AMByNg Kai
Singapore’s known affectionately as the Little Red Dot – it’s an endearing term for our proud island state, and also because we are seriously smol. Did you know that the United States is about 13,673 times bigger than Singapore?
Despite our teeny land mass, we somehow find ways to make it big on the international stage, and our role in the upcoming Expo 2020 is no diff.
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Expo 2020 is a World Expo to be hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; it was put off for more than a year because of – you guessed it – Covid-19, and is set to kick off this year on 1 Oct. Expo 2020 Dubai aims to inspire visitors to preserve and protect the planet, and this year’s theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.
Situated within the Sustainability District of the Expo 2020 Dubai, Singapore will present the Singapore Pavilion – designed by Singapore-based architectural practice WOHA – at Expo 2020 Dubai (ups lah!).
The Pavilion will offer an idea of what a city in nature could look like, and how it would be possible to replicate this model anywhere else through smart and sustainable urban solutions. The Singapore Pavilion has been designed around the theme of “Nature. Nurture. Future.”. How does it fulfill and promote this?
- The Singapore Pavilion is designed to have minimal impact to the environment as a self-sufficient ecosystem to achieve net-zero energy over the six-month event period that lasts till March 31, 2022.
- 100 per cent of the Pavilion’s energy demands will be met by the 517 solar panels on the roof canopy. Saline groundwater drawn on-site is desalinated in the pavilion for a closed-loop water system.
- The Pavilion will feature an extensive variety of plants, including those native to Singapore, shading visitors and buffering strong winds.
- Sun pipes will capture and funnel sunshine from the roof deep into interior spaces of the Pavilion, and together with grow lights to mimic the sun, they will help plants thrive even in indoor areas.
- Dry mist fans will replace the need for air-conditioning.
- The F&B menu has been curated to minimise non-food waste, and for easy separating into a) waste that can be processed in an “EcoDigestor” to greywater, and b) waste that will get recycled.
The Singapore Pavilion wants to highlight our nation's vision of a liveable, sustainable and resilient city of the future through the smart integration of design, technology and nature.
The Pavilion will profile Singapore’s experience and expertise in developing and implementing urban innovations and showcase the country’s continued commitment towards building a sustainable future.
Tl;dr: Not merely a city of the future, but a city for our future.
