Japan Pavilion “Bringing Together Technology, People and Ideas”, Expo 2020 Dubai

Client:

NÜSSLI Satal Project Management LLC

Commissioned by:

NÜSSLI Satal Project Management LLC

Date:

1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022

Location:

Expo 2020 Dubai

Supplied Services for this Project:

Overview

Japan is called the land of the rising sun. The sun in the centre of its national flag signifies perfection and the flourishing of the state. It is a symbol of light, wealth and abundance.

In Japan traditions and historical continuity are celebrated, which are upheld and manifested by the institution of monarchy as a symbol of the unity of the people. Only in this country and nowhere else the monarch is called the emperor, and this position appeared a very long time ago. Despite the outward conservatism and adherence to traditions, the Japanese are modern and make huge strides in high technology, robotics and biomedicine.

Surprisingly, despite scientific and technological progress and a high level of urbanisation, Japanese people managed to preserve the natural environment intact. This is not to mention the rich heritage of antiquity: castles, palaces, monuments and temples that have survived to this day almost in their original form.

Main Theme

Located in the Opportunity District, Japan is committed to integrating three main categories: technology, people and ideas. Being famous for its rapid technological development and scientific breakthroughs, Japan, nonetheless, heavily concentrates on its own people and nature as a source for inspiration for ideas and wisdom.

The Japan Pavilion presents a mind-blowing exhibition where visitors go on a wild ride from the past to the future. It shows how one country can harmonically incorporate traditions, culture, technology, and nature. In addition, the pavilion reveals one of the country aspects as an “encounter of ideas”, where concepts are being transformed into actions for a better future of the planet.

The Experience

The first zone is an introduction to the country, where guests will observe various Japanese landscapes through string screens, floor projections and voice AR with the help of various special effects such as mist.

The second area introduces the main components of Japanese culture and nature. Presentation is complemented with layer screens in adjunct to AR voice and mist.

The third area of Innovations has 4 main sections: City, Earth, Sea and the Universe. They will be displayed in the form of miniature art by famous artist Tatsuya Tanaka.

The fourth zone “Issues” offers visitors the opportunity to have a walk through the zone full of illustrations projected on a transparent screen in consort with special light effects.

In the fifth area, guests will enter the final zone “Where Ideas Meet” equipped with a 360-degree circular screen, spherical screen and mist for an immersive experience. The room shows how, sooner or later, in a round shape world ideas eventually meet their destination and contribute to a better future.

The final sixth zone provides more information on the next Expo 2025, which will take place in Osaka, Japan. Visitors will see a miniature version of the architectural development of Expo 2025.

Our Main Challenges

We have faced a few difficulties while working on the project. One of the encountered challenges was making sure that the organization and coordination of stakeholders of numerous projects were consistent with the highest criteria of Expo since the exhibition is revered for its feature of the latest technological advancements and non-existent of any scope gaps.

In the second last zone, it was our “mission” to make the correct projection on a massive sphere. Due to the size and shape of the sphere and external factors like moisture, heat, AC, finding the right specialists with appropriate experience proved to be a difficult task.

Apart from that, we were faced with the challenge to create a perfect audio and light transition between the zones. As visitors move from one area to another, all special effects had to be perfectly timed and automated.

Our Solutions

For the productive coordination between parties involved, we had to create a matrix of responsibilities to have a clear idea of where we stand at each point in time. Regular meetings with stakeholders were the main solution to the challenge.

Considering various external factors that have a direct impact on the sphere projection, a huge number of simulations had to be run by our designers and engineers. Our excellent experts tackled all rising problems without any delays.

The transition between zones was perfected through extensive algorithm calibration and sophisticated programming, where every minor technical or human factor was taken into account.

Photos: Andreas Keller