querkraft-bagienski.jpg?ssl=1 "Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten")
Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten
The Viennese architecture office Querkraft has been selected to design the Austrian Pavilion for the EXPO 2020 in Dubai. The design combines traditional building materials with modern techniques to present Austria as a center of innovation. Former Federal Minister Beatrix Karl was appointed honorary commissioner for the world expo and will represent Austria externally. The Expo in Dubai will be the first world exhibition in an Arab country in the 170-year Expo history. The Austrian Pavilion will center on questions of how resources can be used more thoughtfully and respectfully in the future.
querkraft-bagienski.jpg?ssl=1 "Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten")
Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten
During the World Expo, the pavilion will be competing with more than 180 participating countries and pavilion organizers. The Austrian Pavilion is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The exhibition area for the Austrian pavilion will be located between Switzerland and China in the Opportunity district: “unlocking the potential within individuals and communities to shape the future”. In a time where huge amounts of information create misleading answers for complex issues, the Austrian Pavilion will focus on a framework of innovations.
querkraft.jpg?ssl=1 "Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten")
Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten
querkraft.jpg?ssl=1 "Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten")
Austria Pavilion. Image Courtesy of Querkraft Architekten
A grid of truncated cones will unfolds to create patterns of light and shadow. The cone forms will be carefully engineered to invite the visitor to rest and contemplate the surrounding exhibition. To finalize project identification, an EU-wide, two-stage realization competition was announced in which 43 teams from all creative sectors participated. The task encompassed the architecture of the pavilion, the design of the exhibition, as well as the design and integration of the exterior spaces into the exhibition activities. An interdisciplinary jury of experts recommended the project “in dialogue with austria” under the direction of Querkraft Architekten.
With the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, Expo 2020 will run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.