Designed by FOSTER+PARTNERS, the United Arab Emirates Pavilion is one of the largest at Expo Milano.
Grassi Pietre, based in Nanto in the Italian province of Vicenza, has supplied over 500 square metres of Trani Biancone - in sheets measuring 120x70x2 cm with a polished finish - for the construction of the apartment designed to accommodate the Emir on his visit to Milan, and the flooring adjacent to the auditorium on the lower floor.
The outstandingly modern pavilion is situated in the centre of the exhibition, next to the main Decumanus axis.
FOSTER+PARTNERS, which designed the pavilion, has skilfully interpreted the country's cultural heritage, combined with its new focus on sustainable development. The surprising shape of the structure is formed by a series of corrugated walls, measuring 12 metres in height, which evoke the partially shaded streets of the country's historic settlements, and the magnificent dunes of its deserts. There is also an evocative area of greenery dedicated to indigenous species of vegetation.
When Expo 2015 comes to an end, the structure will be dismantled and reassembled in Masdar City.
