STORIES OF LIGHT
Location: Dubai, UAE
Design Director: Raya Ani
Company Name: RAW-NYC Architects
Category: Architecture
Year: 2019
To encourage creativity, collaboration, and innovation, Dubai is taking the opportunity to connect the world for the first time in the Middle East region at Expo2020. The main theme of Expo 2020 is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” which promotes new opportunities to facilitate the diffusion of information to all which consequently permits people to be active members of this global ecosystem.
The walls (digital screens) that surround the space are the active design elements that catch the visitors’ attention and imagination. The pavilion’s walls present stories that reflect the evolution of storytelling from the cave art period up to social media.
The visitors’ pictorial journey passes through three time zones starting from the age of cave art and clay tablets displaying stories from ancient Mesopotamia like the epic of Gilgamesh and the wisdom of that era. Also, the walls display the time period when paper was invented and stories were told through beautiful illustrations like Maqamat Alhariri. Finally, the visitors arrive at the last time zone that is modern day storytelling.
Nowadays, storytelling is controlled by technology and social media where iconic stories like the story of Hisham Althahabi, a symbol of generosity and giving, are shared with the world. To reflect on sustainability in the design, the digital screens are powered by solar panels which transform the solar energy into electricity.
The design of the Iraq Pavilion creates a dynamic experience for the visitors through the interaction with what the interior of the wall displays. The display is colorful, reflecting positive stories that are part of the unique story-telling experience.
The narratives and the storytelling through pictures, sounds, and visual effects are meant to express the stories of the past and the present to highlight positive stories of iconic characters with their achievements. This is how Architecture began. It started by decorating caves with drawings and documenting the details of life. The cave art created a learning opportunity for all those who passed through.
The Iraq Pavilion design reflects on the importance of passing on knowledge from generation to another and learning from the past to create future opportunities.
