Emirati-designed pavilion hopes to inspire millions

It is created like a Bedouin tent in which Zayed and Rashid had a key meeting in 1968

The Expo Live pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Opportunity District seeks to inspire millions of visitors to become change-makers.

Dubbed the ‘The Good Place’, it was designed by Ahmad Abdul Rahman Bukhash, the Emirati founder of Dubai architecture firm Archidentity. Its design is inspired by the traditional Bedouin tent where a pivotal 1968 meeting took place between Shaikh Zayed and Shaikh Rashid. The objective of that meeting,

which led to the birth of the UAE in 1971, was to achieve a common vision and a sustainable future for their people.

So how will the pavilion inspire millions?

Bukhash said: “One of the challenges in designing the ‘The Good Place’ was capturing — and captivating audiences around — the idea of Expo Live. As visitors enter, they will see a mirage of visuals where their reflections appear alongside images of Global Innovators. The design, co-created by Takeshi Maruyama and Sireen Ali, empowers visitors to see that those seeking to do good are ordinary people, like you or me.”

Expo Live comprises the Innovation Impact Grant Programme (IIGP), which is so far supporting 120 Global Innovators with guidance, exposure and grants of up to $100,000; and the University Innovation Programme, which has supported 46 teams of students in the UAE with grants of up to Dh50,000.

Covering approximately 470 square metres, the pavilion features the work of the Global Innovators. Visitors will have the chance to pitch their social innovations to become a Global Innovator in the programme’s sixth cycle.