Expo 2020 Dubai: Netherlands Pavilion to commence deconstruction
Deconstruction is part of the pavilion’s circular concept theme
Following the conclusion of Expo 2020 Dubai, the 35th World Expo, the Netherlands Pavilion has said that work has commenced on the deconstruction of the pavilion, continuing its circular concept.
Designed by V8 Architects as a temporary circular climate system, a biotope in the desert where visitors can experience natural phenomena a such as condensation, solar energy, photosynthesis, fungus production and temperature transmission. The architecture is the physical representation of the Netherlands’ core message: connecting sustainable solutions in the areas of water, energy and food, a statement from V8 Architects said.
“Due to the temporary nature of a world exhibition and the brief for a sustainable pavilion with a minimal footprint, the Netherlands pavilion was designed and built according to circular principles. A conscious decision was made to use as many reusable, recyclable and compostable materials as possible. For the construction of the pavilion, a radical construction method was applied by renting materials available in Dubai such as sheet piles and tubes, in fact also an ode to the Netherlands civil engineering expertise,” the statement added.
Because the Netherlands pavilion is a showcase for sustainability and circularity, V8 Architects said that it integrated new biobased materials into the design, including a curtain and canopy made from cornstarch that was converted into biopolymer textile fibres, and floor and wall finishes made from mycelium.
Biobased materials offer an alternative to current finishing materials in the building industry that are often polluting and not recyclable, the firm explained.
“By showing concrete applications that are both technically and aesthetically integrated into the design, V8 Architects inspires the building industry and architecture becomes a stage for innovation,” the statement added.
The entire pavilion is technically designed to be easily disassembled into usable elements that can easily be reused in the local civil and construction industry. The sheet piles and steel tubes of over 18 meters, play the leading role in this. Smaller finishing materials such as the mushroom farm silos will also be reused in future projects. The floors are built up with sand, gravel and stabilisation mats that can be easily removed to serve as a new surface somewhere else in Dubai. The excavated sand from the plot was used to insulate the walls of the pavilion and to level the floors.
All installations, lighting and even the elevator have been leased and will be reused. The lighting fixtures and furniture will be donated to a charity organisation in Dubai to be used efficiently for the rest of their lifespan.
Even the foundation of the pavilion was designed to be removed again. By basing the entire pavilion on steel plates instead of concrete, nothing will be left behind after the pavilion is dismantled. Only the desert sand that was already there when the plot was received in 2018.
Michiel Raaphorst, architect-director and co-founder V8 Architects: “The Netherlands Pavilion is our very first building that will be dismantled. And we are proud of that. Because recycling, repurposing and reusing the materials and equipment are the true proof of the circular concept.”
He added that a local entrepreneur will take over the ‘mushroom nursery’ and will continue the production of mushrooms and mycelium products in Dubai. For the organic solar panels and water maker and the underlying technology, conversations are underway to look at possibilities for further implementation in the Gulf region.
