Italy lines up a number of records for Expo pavilion
Italy is out to make a big impression at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Art historians and computer programmers are carefully constructing a 3D replica of Michelangelo’s David to act as the striking centrepiece of the country’s pavilion.
Engineers used high-tech cameras and mounted laser scanners on stairs to capture microscopic details of the 16th century marble statue at the Accademia Gallery in Florence.
The unique and precise lifesize copy of the four-metre Renaissance masterpiece is being printed out in Italy before preparations begin for transport to Dubai.
Paolo Glisenti, Italy’s commissioner general of the Dubai Expo, told The National that cutting edge digital and visual technology used in space helped piece together the copy.
He said the aim was “to make the first perfect twin of the sculpture Michelangelo created more than 500 years ago”.
“We consider it our main tribute to Expo’s visionary message, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” he said.
Mr Glisenti checked the progress at the site in Dubai South on Monday as part of a five-day visit to the Emirates.
Dozens of workers were bus preparing high pillars and support structures for three boat hulls that will form the roof of the pavilion.
The wooden boat frames are being finished in Italy and will be brought to Dubai next month.
“The three hulls, painted to form the biggest Italian flag [yet made], will be unveiled sometime in late April. It has taken months of work to construct them and to make a perfect roof covering more the 3,000 square metres,” Mr Glisenti said.
Work on the shell and core of the pavilion has been completed and architects are now starting on fixtures and fittings.
Italy supported Dubai’s decision to postpone the world fair by a year.
Italian officials welcomed the opportunities the expo holds for local communities and overseas businesses.
Mr Glisenti said planners used the time to refocus on using technology to maintain a safe visitor experience, as well as to disinfect the area.
A smart tag will be given to all pavilion visitors that will alert them if they get within metres of another person.
Planners have adapted, with more digital offerings and additional open spaces.
The objective is to connect scientists, entrepreneurs, artists and students around the world in real time.
“I call it a ‘speaking and viewing’ pavilion fully integrated inside and outside,” Mr Glisenti said about displaying tech and green solutions produced by Italian companies.
He said they acted quickly to add natural ventilation in a fully open-air visitor path. There will be sensors to detect proximity and flow of people, nanotechnologies for indoor air disinfection , and algae cultivation to absorb the carbon dioxide guests exhale.
He said the Expo could be a milestone for the rest of the world “by showing how architects, designers, real estate companies, smart energy and sustainable mobility providers can connect and work together in post pandemic era for urban regeneration projects”.
Other features to watch out for are a garden filled with rare Italian plants and flowers and a sand dune structure where the main exhibits will be housed.
About 10,000 Italian university students responded to a call for volunteers and Mr Glisenti described the response as extraordinary.
“What is, in my view, even more amazing is that they are of 67 different nationalities. Which means that our visitors will go through a truly multilingual and multi-culture pavilion,” he said.
The six-month Expo will open in Dubai in October.
As part of a soft opening, bookings are open for the Sustainability Pavilion, an eco-friendly attraction, one of the main themes of the world fair.