UAE International Horticultural Expo Pavilion

DOHA, QATAR

2023

CLIENT

UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and the National Projects Office

TYPOLOGY

Culture

SIZE M2/FT2

450 / 4,800

STATUS

COMPLETED

The UAE Pavilion at the 2023 International Horticultural Expo in Doha, Qatar is designed to showcase the region’s environmental preservation and agricultural innovation.

Inspired by the deep roots and intertwined branches of the local Ghaf Tree, the pavilion is conceived as a dome-shape, gradually rising towards its center. Its rammed earth structure frames a series of exhibition galleries and 32 gardens, creating an immersive experience of the UAE’s diverse landscape from desert to oasis, and sea to the mountains.

“The UAE Pavilion draws on the natural systems and centuries-old vernacular architecture of the UAE to respond to the world’s current climate challenges. Inspired by the deep roots and intertwined branches of the drought resistant Ghaf Tree, the Pavilion is designed as a network of rammed earth walls framing a series of exhibition galleries and gardens of indigenous species. Walls, floors and roofs are formed by soil, stone and vegetation, creating a physical link to the ground they come from. Meandering paths lead to an outdoor oasis, which is organized as a series of thematic gardens that explore the power of plants as a source of food, health and energy. By weaving together architecture and landscape into a seamless experience, the UAE Pavilion shares the story of humanity’s inseparable bonds with nature."

Giulia Frittoli — Partner & Head of BIG Landscape, BIG

A network of paths within the pavilion takes the visitors on a journey through thematic gardens that explore the power of plants as a source of food, health, and energy.

The Pavilion is primarily made from locally sourced materials with walls constructed in rammed earth, which includes 90% soil and 10% cement for binding. The roof structure is formed by wooden beams topped with palm leaves for shading and limestone rocks are used for paving surfaces.

Throughout the gardens, guests can explore native and non-native plants that are cultivated or found in the wild. The landscaping and greenhouse include 65 species and 6,609 plants with edible plants, fruit trees, medicinal plants, a bee garden, flowers, spices, shrubs, grasses, industrial plants, and perennials. The greenhouse is filled with fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, figs, and citrus fruits. The plants are selected to highlight species that contribute to the UAE’s agricultural legacy, from past, to present and future.

19_23027_N42_webproject

19_23027_N43_webproject

19_23027_N44_webproject

19_23027_N45_webproject

Bjarke Ingels Jakob Lange Andrea Hektor Malka Logo Nicolas Vincent Robert Carlier Xavier Thanki Søren Martinussen Giulia Frittoli Bartłomiej Lew Dace Gurecka Jae Yoon Lee Jan-Hendrik Schrader Thomas Lejeune Mónica Galiana Rodriquez Jens Max Jensen Jesús Fernández Fraile Sofia Papadopoulou Giancarlo Albarello Herrera Anna Beatrice Maria Ambrosi Rihab Soukkarieh Hansen Zhu Kannan Selvaraj Alvaro Novás Filgueira Seyederfan Masoumzadeh Nouran Wael Mohamed Rashad Mohamed Sherif Marco Sartoretto Zhiyuan Zhang Carrie Tam