(18 Oct 2021) LEAD IN:
Dubai's Expo 2020 is a much-anticipated event, even more so because of its one-year delay.
Many participating countries have built original pavilions to represent their nations in Dubai.
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A cone-shaped pavilion displays a series of AI-generated poems on its exterior.
These poems were created from words submitted by visitors, then displayed by LEDs on the building's façade.
This futuristic-looking structure is the UK's pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.
"So, right now, behind me, you're seeing the raw words that people are donating on their smartphones into this building, and the building is thinking about those words and it's using artificial intelligence to create poetry from the individual words. Every visitor that donates a word, gets their own piece of poetry given back to them and that poetry is then donated from them into a collective message that's going to build and build over six months," says Laura Faulkner, UK Commissioner General for Expo 2020.
The UK pavilion, designed by a female designer for the first time, Es Devlin, aims to draw attention to the importance of artificial intelligence.
"It is supposed to represent artificial intelligence and space and the impact of those two powerful things on the human race and on the human growth, making solutions, to make the human race's existence on earth and other worlds better," explains Faulkner.
Dubai's world fair has its share of architectural masterpieces.
One of the most eye-catching designs is Saudi Arabia's pavilion, the second largest at Expo, with a total area of more than 13,000 square meters (140,000 square feet).
As a block sticking out of the ground, part of the façade is covered with mirrors that reflect patterns, lights and colours, drawing in spectators.
Inside, a number of art pieces are showcased, including a 30-meter diameter globe with an interactive floor that a collective of Saudi artists worked on.
The Saudi pavilion has received the LEED Platinum Certification, the highest internationally-recognised sustainability rating.
Another highlight of the Expo is 'Surreal,' a water feature that towers more than four stories high.
It was designed by Los Angeles-based water feature firm WET.
Standing beneath the towering installation, visitors feel as if they're about to be engulfed in a waterfall, when suddenly, the water seemingly disappears beneath their feet.
Water falls to the cue of music written by Ramin Djawadi, the composer of the Grammy Award-nominated theme music for Game of Thrones and Westworld.
But taking centre stage at the much-anticipated event is the host country's pavilion.
Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the UAE pavilion is shaped like a falcon in flight and is the largest at the Expo.
The roof of the building is made up of 28 movable wings that can fully open up to reveal photovoltaic panels.
Those panels are designed to absorb sunlight, which will then be returned to the main power grid and used as energy.
The wings protect the panels from rain and sandstorms when they're closed.
Over at the Opportunity District, draped over Italy's pavilion is 70 kilometres (40 miles) of rope made from two million plastic bottles.
Energy-saving was also taken into account.
"This is also one of the few pavilions at the world Expo here in Dubai without air conditioning, it's the only way to open up to the elements. So, in architecture that blends the natural and artificial and of course through that saves energy," says Ratti.
The pavilion focuses on reusable material and was topped with three boat hulls.
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