Fentress reveal design for Expo 2020 Dubai

One of the more ambitious designs for Expo 2020 was unveiled towards the end of last year, when a ceremony took place to reveal the concept for the US pavilion, designed by Curtis W Fentress. A public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and a private sector consortium was formed to create, operate and decommission the $60m structure. This undertaking required collaboration between creative, commercial, and cultural partners, selected by a competitive nation-wide request for proposal process. The original call for designs can be viewed on TenderStream here.

Under the theme ‘What Moves You’, the pavilion’s interior will showcase American innovation and technology, including the world premiere of the Virgin Hyperloop One ride experience. An immersive interactive exhibit designed by George P. Johnson Experience Marketing will relate stories about American mobility innovations and their effects on populations around the world.

During the launch event, Colorado-based Curtis W Fentress explained how the concept reflects values that the Expo organisers and the participating US team are keen to communicate to visitors. Giving an insight into the design, he stated: “Today we’re looking at an Expo that is related to mobility, movement, travel, sustainability – things that are very important to the world today.  We have designed this building to be circular in form with slants fashioned to project a sensation of movement, making the viewer feel like the building itself is in motion.  

“And then, once you enter the building, it opens up to what the United States stands for: we are an open, accessible country where you can live to create ideas.  It showcases all the things we are doing in America: developing technology and concepts that are going to move us forward in the future.  Designing this pavilion is a tremendous responsibility - one we take very seriously - as we will be showcasing America and American ideas to over 25 million people expected to visit the Expo.”

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

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