THE COLORS OF IRAQ

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.

“Opportunity” is one of the subthemes of Expo 2020. Believing that equal opportunities for all is critical for the future of Iraq regardless of the various ethnicities and beliefs, diversity, equality, and unity mainly inspired the design concept of this pavilion. These major aspects were represented by the simplicity, symmetry, and pluralism of the Cube.

The four sides of the cube were used as a canvas to illustrate the rich and diverse geographical nature of Iraq from north to south, and east to west. The unique topographic identity of each region was reflected and displayed on the sides of the cube to create a wholistic picture of this land.

The smooth and cohesive patterns of the natural topography were depicted on the faces of the cube with organic curvilinear outlines connecting the four faces of the cube, emphasizing connectivity and unity.

Corresponding colors of the natural features of Iraq– the high mountains in the north, the beautiful green plains in the east and south, and the sandy deserts in the west- were reflected on the faces of the cube to create a dynamic expression of Iraq’s nature through the use of recycled plastic containers holding colored water to make up the four exterior surfaces of the cube.

Water was and still is one of the essential natural resources of Iraq. The water abundance in the past promoted an opportunity to build the first civilization in the ancient world, Mesopotamia “The Land Between the Rivers”. Because water scarcity is a global issue in today’s world and we all have the responsibility to preserve this precious resource for the generations to come, water was incorporated into the design to invest in opportunities to do research and studies, promoting the conservation of this natural resource in Iraq and the world.