BIG’s Pavilion for the UAE at the 2023 International Horticultural Expo in Doha, Qatar, is recognized at the Expo’s closing event for its material use, innovative landscape design, and plant species selection. Designed by BIG’s Landscape team in collaboration with Atelier Brückner, the Pavilion’s rammed earth structure frames a series of exhibition galleries and 32 gardens, creating an immersive experience of the UAE’s diverse landscape from desert to oasis, and sea to the mountains.
Designed to showcase the region’s environmental preservation and agricultural innovation, the 450 m2 pavilion is inspired by the deep roots and intertwined branches of the local Ghaf Tree. The Pavilion is conceived as a dome-shape, emerging from the earth, gradually rising towards its center and framing polygonal-shaped spaces and gardens to create a maze-like exhibition experience that draws the visitors into its folds.
“The UAE Pavilion draws on the natural systems and centuries-old vernacular architecture of the UAE to respond to the world’s current climate challenges. Inspired by the deep roots and intertwined branches of the drought resistant Ghaf Tree, the Pavilion is designed as a network of
rammed earth walls framing a series of exhibition galleries and gardens of indigenous species. Walls, floors and roofs are formed by soil, stone and vegetation, creating a physical link to the ground they come from. Meandering paths lead to an outdoor oasis, which is organized as a series of thematic gardens that explore the power of plants as a source of food, health and energy. By weaving together architecture and landscape into a seamless experience, the UAE Pavilion shares the story of humanity’s inseparable bonds with nature.” – Giulia Frittoli, Partner & Head of BIG Landscape, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
The Pavilion is primarily made from locally sourced materials with walls constructed in rammed earth, which includes 90% soil and 10% cement for binding. The roof structure is formed by wooden beams topped with palm leaves for shading and limestone rocks are used for paving surfaces. A network of paths within the pavilion takes the visitors on a journey through thematic gardens that explore the power of plants as a source of food, health and energy.
Throughout the gardens, guests can explore native and non-native plants that are cultivated or found in the wild. The landscaping and greenhouse include 65 species and 6,609 plants with edible plants, fruit trees, medicinal plants, a bee garden, flowers, spices, shrubs, grasses, industrial plants, and perennials. The greenhouse is filled with fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, figs, and citrus fruits. The plants are selected to highlight species that contribute to the UAE’s agricultural legacy, from past, to present and future.
The International Horticultural Expo 2023 in Doha marked the first International Horticultural Exhibition to be held in the Middle East and North Africa region. At the Expo’s closing event, the UAE Pavilion was acknowledged as the winner in the Best Self-Built Pavilion category for its alignment with this year’s theme “Green Desert, Better Environment”.
Throughout its 6-month-long exhibition period from October 2023 until end of March 2024, the UAE Pavilion hosted educational workshops for children on topics such as pollinator protection, panel discussions on agricultural innovations and food security, and cooking lessons demonstrating recipes using plants from the local food systems. The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 is BIG’s first completed project in the Middle East.
UAE Pavilion
Client: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and the National Projects Office
Size: 450 m2
Location: Doha, Qatar
Collaborators: Atelier Brückner, Conmarble Design Studio, MACE, CEG
Designer: BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
PROJECT TEAM
Partners-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Jakob Lange, Giulia Frittoli
Project Leader: Søren Martinussen
Project Architect: Alvaro Novás Filgueria
Team: Malka Logo, Marco Sartoretto, Nicolas Vincent Robert Carlier, Sofia Papadopoulou, Xavier Thanki, Zhiyuan Zhang
BIG Landscape: Dace Gurecka, Jae Yoon Lee, Anna Beatrice Maria Ambrosi, Bartlomiej Lew, Giancarlo Albarello Herrera, Hansen Zhu, Mónica Galiana Rodriquez, Nouran Wael Mohamed Rashad Mohamed Sherif, Rihab Soukkarieh, Seyederfan Masoumzadeh
BIG Products: Jan-Hendrik Schrader
BIG Engineering: Andrea Hektor, Carrie Tam, Jens Max Jensen, Jesús Fernández Fraile, Kannan Selvaraj, Thomas Lejeune
