The design of the pavilion and its theme, ‘Campus Germany’, for Expo 2020 was recently revealed in Dubai. The event was attended by attended by Ernst Peter Fischer, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE, Dietmar Schmitz, commissioner general of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, executive director, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, and other members of the German Pavilion team.

Designed by Cologne-based agency facts and fiction and Berlin-based architects LAVA, Campus Germany will be located in Expo 2020’s Sustainability District.The campus will be built by Swiss construction company ADUNIC.

It will feature a ‘vertical campus’ design consisting of separate modules that converge at a spacious atrium with a stage and restaurant, creating an impressive structure that reflects the country’s underlying theme.

A place of knowledge, research and communication, Campus Germany will provide every visitor with their own personalised interactive experience while showcasing the country’s latest science and technology innovations.

Each visitor’s experience will be delivered by an intelligent assistance system called ‘IAMU’, which will act as an invisible companion to visitors, providing them with information as they move through the pavilion. IAMU technology will be showcased to the world for the first time at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Schmitz said: “As two issues high on the regional and global agenda, education and sustainability were important focuses for us when designing Campus Germany for Expo 2020 Dubai. Our pavilion concept has been designed to seamlessly combine exhibition and architecture, with a storyline that will grasp visitors’ interest and hold it from start to finish, inviting them to engage with the content and be actively involved in the experience.”

Al-Ali said: “At Expo 2020 Dubai, we want all our visitors to contribute to making the world a better place, and the German Pavilion will provide a fascinating platform for people to learn, have fun and explore sustainability together. We look forward to seeing more compelling pavilion designs and themes revealed by other participating countries as we continue our countdown to Expo.”

Campus Germany’s welcome hall will feature a large pit containing 155,000 balls, each of which will highlight a sustainability champion from Germany or tell its own sustainability-related story. Visitors simply have to select a ball and place it under a scanner to uncover its message.

In line with its modular theme, the pavilion will feature different ‘labs’ for visitors to explore. The Energy Lab, Future City Lab and Biodiversity Lab, for example, will enable people to learn more about Germany’s achievements and innovations in the field of sustainability, while becoming more aware of how their actions affect the environment.