Drawing inspiration from the form of a sand dune, the UAE Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010, designed by Foster + Partners, recently broke ground.
The building, created to showcase the United Arabic Emirates' stance on sustainability during the 2010 Shanghai Expo, draws heavily on the landscape and climate of the seven emirates in its natural design.
“Like a sand dune, it is oriented to the direction of the wind and is a powerful example of an organic and highly effective passive environmental design,” explains Gerard Evenden of the design.
Similar to the sand dunes that inspired the project, the pavilion appears rough and textured on the side that bears the full force of the wind and smooth on the other side. The northern elevation is porous to admit natural light, while the southern elevation has a solid façade, to minimize solar gain. A stainless steel skin, treated to appear golden, encloses the jewel-like shell.
The complex structure is a triangulated lattice of flat stainless steel panels, joined by adjustable nodes, designed to enable the pavilion to be demounted on site and constructed quickly and economically.
The UAE Pavilion is one of the largest structures to be built for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
Visit: http://www.fosterandpartners.com/
Via: archiCentral
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