On 1st October, the UK will open its doors to the world
KPS is proud to be a part of the UK Pavilion at Expo2020.
For the full six months of Expo 2020, the UK Pavilion is set to become a buzzing hub of innovation and interactivity in Dubai. Under the theme of ‘Innovating for a shared future’ the Pavilion will showcase the very best of UK design, technology, food, and entertainment.
“At KPS, we are all about turning challenges into opportunities,” said Stephen Taylor, Operations Director at KPS in the UAE, “and the interior construction of the UK Pavilion came with its own unique set of challenges for us.” Not least among them was the global pandemic that set the entire Expo 2020 project back a full twelve months. It also caused complex logistical problems for KPS.
Despite global lockdowns, thousands of individual items from furniture to flooring still had to arrive onsite from all over the world, at the right time and in the right order. KPS used a full array of technological skills to ensure that nothing went astray. High-definition 3D cameras allowed clients to follow the project remotely from the UK without physically visiting the site, saving time and travel costs. This increased the efficiency of the project and expedited decision-making processes.
Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner General for Expo 2020 Dubai, said:
“We’re delighted with how KPS have helped us create a unique interior space for the UK Pavilion where people and businesses from around the world will discover how the UK is innovating for a shared future.”
Unlike a normal structure, where the building’s utility services are routed into the ceiling cavity, in the UK Pavilion power, water and air-conditioning ducting are located under the floor. The Pavilion’s visitors are in fact walking on a wooden floor, raised one metre above the structural floor level.
Nothing about the UK Pavilion is standard: the Inspiration Gallery, the Pavilion’s main auditorium, is designed as a completely circular, multifunctional space. It will host an exciting mix of performances, workshops, concerts, business receptions, and exhibitions throughout Expo2020. From the massive double-doors to the wooden ceiling baffles, lighting features and even the stainless-steel air-conditioning grilles set into the floor, KPS had to create bespoke circular elements for every single design feature.
Stephen Taylor summed it up: “As Dubai gets ready to open its doors to the World, we are immensely proud that KPS has played a part in bringing the amazing vision behind the UK Pavilion to life.”
Find out more on the UK at Expo 2020 Dubai website
