Japan has started the construction of its pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site in the UAE.
The contract to build the facility has been awarded to Obayashi Middle East Construction.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by the Japanese Ambassador to the UAE Akihiko Nakajima, Consul-General of Japan in Dubai Akima Umezawa, and Commissioner General of the Japan Pavilion Tomiyasu Nakamura.
Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau executive director Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali also attended the ceremony.
The pavilion is designed by Yuko Nagayama, who is the director of Yuko Nagayama and Associates and NTT Facilities, UAE state news agency WAM reported.
Sustainability and the connection between the Middle East and Japan are said to be the focus of the design and construction of the Japan Pavilion.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe design and content of the pavilion will incorporate both these principles. The facility will have imprints of traditional Middle Eastern and Japanese architecture, technology and culture.
The façade of the pavilion will feature Arabesque and Asanoha patterns, the report added. The 3D façade will be inspired by Japanese Origami shapes.
The pavilion will also feature windcatchers and uchimizu, which are environmentally friendly, natural cooling methods inspired by Arabic and Japanese technologies.
Dubai Expo 2020 will be held for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region from October 2020 through April 2021.
The event is expected to attract 25 million visitors.
Last month, a consortium led by Canadian company EllisDon Construction had won a contract to design, build and operate the Canada Pavilion and Public Presentation at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
