Written by Staff Writer
After 10 days of exhibitions, conferences and countless hours of research, it’s time for Germany to turn its attention to the World Expo 2020.
In total, there will be 16 pavilions at the event, attracting over 300,000 visitors a day. Most projects have been created in partnership with a local municipality, and some have been handcrafted from the materials of the surrounding locales.
Though there is no official price tag, many projects are collectively costing in the hundreds of millions of euros.
Renovation work is currently underway in neighboring Switzerland to build a pavilion that will not only house the German Host Government’s exhibition, but will also reflect the heritage of the region.
At 1,200 square meters, it’s one of the smallest World Exposcions’ pavilions, but it will be of a piece with the surrounding “Stonehenge” landscape, its stones created by the local Neolithic artisans of Amersfoort.
Built by the not-for-profit project Grand Horizon, the pavilion sits inside the huge estate Gehlwald, which is the country’s biggest park.
The island’s current owners are despatched to destroy the original stone stone monuments, but a group of volunteers do not want to see them cut down.
A source of inspiration
Inspired by the local heritage of the Neolithic, the pavilion will incorporate the landscape throughout its building material.
Instead of canvas, the pavilion will be constructed of panels made from reeds, animal skins and marble for the mezzanine floor. The site and the surrounding parts of the park will also be lit from within.
CoreBund, which has been tasked with overseeing the construction, says the pavilion will feature photovoltaic panels on its roof, solar collectors and native grasses.
It will then attempt to generate up to 400 megawatt hours of electricity per year, well below the set limit of 1,000. According to the source, the team is working to double this figure as soon as possible.
The project’s ultimate aim is to reach 1,000 megawatt hours.
Volunteers from the local Neolithic community will take part in the structure’s evolution.
Why not just leave it?
With four pavilions already built, the residents of Germany have already set the tone for the event by wanting to leave some of the materials they have used behind.
The city of Freiburg will host the German Host Government’s exhibition, the province of Bavaria will operate the pavilion for the provincial government of Berlin, and the state of Hesse will run the Lower Saxony-based pavilion.
The Neolithic community of Meusching, situated on the site of Gehlwald, could not leave behind any ruins, so they have acted as a teaching tool to raise awareness about global warming and water scarcity.
The textile-fabric Chaletwill make itself the last in the World Expo, and could be the first hybrid World Expo-International Pavilion.
The mechanical elevator will be powered by heat generated by the pavilion itself, as well as the whole site. The motion generator will also generate power and solar energy.
Some aspects of the structure will be completely new, with the circular lawn on the mezzanine floor completely artificial.
The permanent structure will be constructed to reduce its carbon footprint and provide a water resource in the future.
“The construction is made of six different materials,” said Neolithic volunteer Hans Wecker. “Rather than textiles, we chose to use a double material which is completely new in the world of green architecture.”
He added: “We’re in a crucial period in history when it comes to preserving our natural habitat. The coming generations of children will have to cope with the planet in order to protect it. The Dome will offer a rare experience in this regard.”