- Ahmad Abdulrahman Bukhash of design firm Archidentity behind ‘The Good Place’
- Pavilion to inspire millions as focal point for USD 100 million Expo Live programme
Jeddah – The Emirati-designed Expo Live Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Opportunity District will inspire millions of visitors to become change-makers by showcasing the social innovators, supported by Expo Live, who are having a measurable impact on people’s lives across the world.
A human-focused experience, ‘The Good Place’ was designed by Ahmad Abdulrahman Bukhash, founder of Dubai architecture practice Archidentity and a UAE national – a point of pride for Expo Live, Expo 2020 and the UAE.
Its design was inspired by the traditional Bedouin tent where a pivotal 1968 meeting took place between the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. 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. This concept has been embraced by Expo Live, Expo 2020’s global innovation and partnership programme that finds, funds and supports creative and innovative solutions with the aim of improving people’s lives, preserving the planet, or both.
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 USD 100,000; and the University Innovation Programme, which has to date supported 46 teams of students in the UAE with grants of up to AED 50,000 to help develop their solutions.
Covering approximately 470 square metres, the pavilion exhibition showcases the ‘good’ in the world, featuring the work of the Global Innovators in improving people’s lives and honouring the vision and generosity of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed introduced Expo Live as a new concept to World Expos during the bid stage in 2013, entrusting Expo 2020 with USD 100 million to support innovations and ideas from across the globe.
Ingenious ideas supported so far include WheeLog, a Japanese accessibility app that provides wheelchair users with barrier-free information; Peru-based Café Compadre which uses solar power to produce good quality, sustainable coffee in the jungle; and Kenya’s Kidogo, a social enterprise offering high-quality, affordable early childcare and education in the slums of Nairobi.
‘The Good Place’ will also feature a new version of the IIGP, which has so far attracted more than 11,000 applications from 184 countries. Visitors to the pavilion will have the chance to pitch their social innovations to become a Global Innovator in the programme’s sixth cycle.
With this in mind, the pavilion is an opportunity for those actively seeking support for their projects, as well as others who wish to become change-makers – entering ‘The Good Place’ as visitors and leaving inspired to build a brighter, more optimistic and prosperous future.
Yousuf Caires, Senior Vice President, Expo Live, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Through the stories of our Global Innovators, ‘The Good Place’ will look to trigger a change in all who visit – inspiring ordinary people to do something extraordinary by joining a programme that empowers those who are bold and ready to make a difference.
“The pavilion’s visitor experience is a journey that mirrors the trajectory of Expo Live – from a promise made to find, fund and support positive change to a truly global community of entrepreneurs united in the belief that social innovation can come from anywhere, to everyone.”
Ahmad Abdulrahman Bukhash, Chief Architect and Founder, Archidentity, said: “Architecture is about bringing the inside, outside. The Expo Live Pavilion is a showcase for exactly that, exemplifying the notion that an idea is not limited by a single box – it is transformative, outreaching and radiant, and can affect all people around it.
“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.”
The largest event ever held in the Arab World, Expo 2020 Dubai will serve as a platform for international collaboration, innovation and meaningful partnerships that help create a better future for everyone on the planet. It will run for six months from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021.
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About Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai will bring together millions of people for The World’s Greatest Show, celebrating human brilliance and achievement under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
- The six months from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 will be a moment in time to be part of an unparalleled event. We are extending a warm Emirati welcome to the world:
- 25 million visits are expected, with many visitors expected to come more than once
- 70 per cent of visitors anticipated to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 169-year history of World Expos
- An entertaining global celebration with something for everyone, Expo 2020 will wow visitors with 60 daily events across 173 days, showcasing the best of music, technology, creativity and culture, while 200 F&B outlets will feature famous chefs and cuisine from every corner of the world
- Expo 2020 will be an endless journey of discovery. Visitors will have access to the latest innovations and breakthroughs, with more than 200 participants – including 192 nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions – coming together to highlight real-life solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges
- Expo 2020’s sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to make a conscious effort to think and live differently, and give them renewed optimism that, through collaboration, it is possible to make a lasting change to the world
- The first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) will be located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Media are invited to register for access to the Expo 2020 Dubai Media Information System, Tawassul, at https://media.expo2020dubai.com. Tawassul, meaning ‘connect’ in Arabic, is an essential operational tool connecting media to important information and updates on elements such as media accreditation, licences and permits and content assets. If you have not already submitted an expression of interest for media accreditation, please register for Tawassul to access the expression of interest form. For enquiries, email: media.services@expo2020.ae.
Visit: www.expo2020dubai.com
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About World Expos
In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.
World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. Today, four types of Expos are organised under the BIE’s auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano.
For media enquiries, please contact:
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