Poland Pavilion wins silver award for Exhibition Design at Expo 2020 Dubai

The awards were announced during the BIE Day Awards Ceremony on 30 March 2022, which was a summary of the six-month World Exhibition. The Official Participant Awards recognise three aspects of pavilions: architecture and landscape (for self-built pavilions only), exhibition design, and theme interpretation. The recipients of the awards were decided by an international jury composed of nine experts in a range of relevant fields. The jury visited each international pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai during the course of two sessions, in January and March of 2022.

Awards have been a long-standing tradition in Expos ever since 1851 when the first World Expo, the Great Exhibition, was held in London. They are integral part of World Expos and play a key role to honour Official Participants for their contributions and efforts towards the development of the Expo theme, sustainability and education of the public.

Designing both the architecture of the pavilion and the exhibition, we aimed to create coherent, immersive space serving multidimensional experience, encouraging not only to learn about the multifaced nature of Poland, but also to reflect on the coexistence of man and nature and the shared responsibility for the planet. By visiting the pavilion, our visitors, supposed to feel that they are an integral part of something bigger and their actions matter. The World Exhibition, has an educational dimension, so I hope that our presence inspires others to use nature’s resources wisely or even sets the stage for circular economy design in the future. We are proud, that what WXCA team together with Bellprat Partner, created together is so clearly read and appreciated by the international community - says Marta Sękulska-Wrońska, architect, partner at WXCA, co-author of the Poland Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The narrative of the Poland Pavilion was built around the keynote of Poland’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai: "Poland. Creativity inspired by nature". The interior of the pavilion is dominated by natural wood and a white kinetic sculpture resembling flying birds. One of the main attractions is the artistic installation "Polish Table", which is a meeting place for the pavilion’s guests. The installation was created of over 120 wooden modules and special modules, including made of copper, aluminum, glass and ceramics.

Our entire team was delighted with the award of the Bureau International des Expositions, which is an integral, long-awaited part of each Expo. It is the culmination of our many years of preparations and six months of active promotion of Poland at Expo 2020 Dubai. The Poland Pavilion is a true architectural masterpiece, which illustrates the power of Polish design and creativity. Visitors have a chance to explore the story of Poland’s economic success, our culture and technology, our amazing natural environment, and above of all - our creativity and ingenuity - said Adrian Malinowski, Commissioner General of the Polish Section Expo 2020 Dubai.

Development of the Poland Pavilion’s exhibition - from its design to production and implementation - become an opportunity for joint work of many fantastic teams, without whom this project would not be possible. The Pavilion's experience is the sum of what hundreds of creators - artists, designers, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs - wanted to tell about Poland. This award is for all of us. The biggest congratulations, however, are due to the hosts of the Pavilion, who for last 180 days gave Poland’s presence at the World’s Exhibition its most important message, by hosting an international audience like no other at the Expo. Bravo to the entire Poland at Expo team and the best it the whole world - students of Polish universities - Jan Pomierny, creative producer, Science Now - Stellar Fireworks CEO.

The WXCA studio together with the Swiss studio Bellprat Partner is responsible for the design and the architectural and thematic concept of the pavilion and the exhibition. They created a unique, immersive, and permeating space inviting visitors to experience polish nature, culture and innovative technology. It intends to inspire and share with the world multiple solutions for a conscious, sustainable future.

The final exhibition narrative, detailed concept and key experiences were created as a collaboration between the design studios Science Now, Stellar Fireworks and Tellart, which enriched the exhibition with distinctive, interactive experiences (eg. the Polish Table art installation), immersive spaces (eg. the Landscapes of Creativity room) and overall multimedia storytelling. General Contractor of the Polish Pavilion is the Poznań International Fair (MTP) - FM Aldentro consortium.

This is the second such important award for the Poland Pavilion. Recently, the Poland Pavilion was awarded the Best Large Pavilion in the World Expo Awards competition organized by EXHIBITOR Magazine.

In 2010, during the World Exhibition in Shanghai, the Poland Pavilion received a silver award for the most creative presentation, while at the International Exhibition in Astana in 2017, the Poland Pavilion was awarded a gold award in the category of pavilion architecture and design up to 400 sq m.

The full list of laureates available HERE.

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