By Issac John www.khaleejtimes.com
The next-phase design and master planning for Dubai Expo 2020’s showpiece venue is making headway as the site’s readiness activity gets into full swing.
The 438-hectare Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali host venue is being designed to create a spectacular showcase befitting the tradition of world expos that leave behind an iconic architectural legacy, the Dubai Expo 2020 Office said in a statement on Wednesday.
A consortium made up of HOK, the US-based lead architects and urban planners, and Arup, infrastructure experts and engineering partners, will undertake the design and master planning work. HOK and Arup have been involved with the expo project since the successful bid phase.
“Expos have been home to some of the world’s most landmark structures, from the Crystal Palace in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Dubai is committed to building on this tradition and making the entire site an experiential environment that fully embodies the essence of our theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’,” said Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State, managing director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Preparatory Committee and director-general of the Dubai Expo 2020 Office.
The expansive Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali complex features a centrepiece Dubai Expo 2020 gated facility spread across 150 hectares and a surrounding residential, hospitality and logistics zone.
