Dubai Expo 2020: India Pavilion is center stage of attraction for global visitors

DUBAI: The ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai is a global stage for renowned architects from all over the world to represent countries whilst showcasing design finesse. With an overarching theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, it is a platform promoting partnerships for innovation, inclusion, and understanding.

The design for the India Pavilion seeks to exhibit the substantial growth the country has witnessed through the years after Independence, becoming a land of limitless opportunities even for international investors. For the prestigious project, the Architects have amalgamated the ethos of the country’s mobility with technology that infuses a sensory stimulus into the Pavilion. The India Pavilion is one of the largest pavilions at the Expo, at par with pavilions of countries such as the USA and China. It is one of the three Pavilions at the Expo which would be retained for posterity after the event and would be a part of the Legacy Phase, Dubai.

Dikshu Kukreja, Harvard graduate and Managing Principal C P Kukreja Architects (CPKA), Principal Architect, India Pavilion, explains, “Architecture is an amalgamation of creativity and engineering. For us, representing India on an international platform meant developing a design that creates a meaningful dialogue between the tangible and intangible aspects of the built form. This was a very unique project to work on because it is showcased on a global stage where you have an assortment of architecture from around the world. How does one capture or freeze India and its diversity into one building?”

FAST FACTS: India Pavilion, Dubai Expo 2020 

• India Pavilion is one of the largest pavilions at the Expo, at par with pavilions of countries such as USA and China
• Among one of the three pavilions that will be retained for posterity in Dubai’s legacy phase as an Indian centre.
• The outer façade is designed using kinetic architecture which celebrates India’s 75 years of Independence through storytelling while instilling emotions of pride and enthusiasm
• Location: Dubai, UAE
• Site: 1.2 acres
• Built-up area: 1, 00, 000 sq. ft.
• Year of completion: 2021
• Principal Architect: C P Kukreja Architects

“Does one just make a hash of different architectural styles from the South, North, West, and East of India? Or does one make an amalgamation of their unique features using all the clichés like arches and domes, or do we do something different? These were the questions we were faced with. We felt that the best way to communicate an India on the move, the transformational aspects of the country so to speak, was to bring that dynamism to the façade. We chose to represent this using a kinetic façade with rotating elements that can become a blank canvas given to India to tell its story. Weaving technology and craftsmanship together, we were able to bring forth a concept which befittingly capsules the diverse cultures of our country whilst captivating the visitors through enthralling storytelling.”

India is one of the fastest-growing nations in the world. Interaction through celebrations, travel, community gatherings is few things that keep the human spirit alive. Mindfulness in architecture is the word of the 21st century, bringing together eco-conscious and technology in a holistic manner.

Dikshu Kukreja further added, “Through the Pavilion, we hope to pay a homage to the cultural multifariousness of our country whilst nurturing the idea of India as a pool of opportunities for investment and collaboration. As one of the fastest-growing nations in the world, the design of the Pavilion imbibes the theme of ‘India on the move’. The façade comprises 600 individual blocks that move using kinetic architecture. The design also celebrates India’s 75 years of Independence.” Through seventy-five identified stories, the façade would engage visitors through the charm of storytelling through the day – familiarizing them with the history, geography, and literature of the country. In the evening, the façade will turn into a vibrant show with sound, light, and projections, almost as if hosting a festival. The awkward shape of the trapezoidal site has been designed to create visual memorabilia and utilise the land to its full potential.

The planning of the site is such that it condenses the vastness of India’s culture and cityscape it. Different design elements such as the radiant sun-dial and the elaborate amphitheater are seamlessly tied into a single harmonious unit. The pavilion is the tallest at the Expo.

“We used sustainability as one of the key design features, integrating climatological influences of the region with technology. Movement in the façade helps control factors such as sunlight and wind inside the Pavilion which is helpful in regulation of natural daylight and ventilation. We also incorporated skylight in the design to optimise natural daylight in the interiors. Using solar panels installed on the terrace, we maximised the benefit from Dubai’s harsh sunlight. The chakra is designed using steel construction with modular steel members that can be recycled,” said Dikshu Kukreja.

Interestingly, Dikshu recalls, “The pavilion design as an architectural process is quite novel in that a single architect designed 82 different design options for the pavilion. The process began three years ago in September 2018. There were so many possibilities to represent India in a single pavilion. And, of course, the design had to go through the many stakeholders and government officials involved right up to the Prime Minister’s office. The whole process took six months.”

The interior design makes the journey inclusive and interactive for the visitors by employing the use of the latest cutting-edge and innovative technologies. The visitors will get to witness both, physical exhibits as well as immersive digital content which would showcase various sectors in the thriving Indian economy. Such close integration of creative and technical approach is exhilarating, constructing an imaginative atmosphere for the visitors.

Programs such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, and Start-Up India campaigns would be featured as the key highlights, displaying the country’s capabilities at an international level. The interior fit-outs have been designed by Muse International. The Indian experience inside the pavilion is designed under eleven themes. As one enters the building, one is fascinated by the starry space – guiding them through India’s journey in space exploration. As a land of tranquility and healing, live yoga performers will have the projection of mandalas behind them. A walk inside giant radium will help the visitors to understand the many benefits of Ayurveda. On the first floor, the colours of India in an immersive environment are showcased with LED walls enveloping the visitors in a heritage experience. Mesmerizing installations also help exhibit India’s diverse culture. The second floor will display India as a land of endless opportunities. A state-of-the-art theatre hall will be open for meetings, conferences, cultural shows, reception as well as film screenings.

The India Pavilion amplifies the country’s position on the global map as a thriving hub of limitless possibilities integrating futuristic approach and mobility while projecting the Indian story in a global narrative.

ABOUT: DIKSHU C KUKREJA, Arch (Urban Design), Harvard University, USA,

Managing Principal Architect, C. P. Kukreja Architects, New Delhi

Ranked amongst the top 100 Architecture firms in the world

Dikshu C. Kukreja received his B.Arch Honours as Gold Medalist from the School of Planning & Architecture. He attended the prestigious Taliesin Fellowship at Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, USA, and received his Masters of Architecture & Urban Design from Harvard University. He was elected the founding Vice President of Asia GSD, which grew to become one of the largest student organizations at Harvard University. He has worked in India, France, and the USA and has lectured and taught at institutions both in India and abroad. He has been Guest Writer for The Times of India and Hindustan Times newspapers on Urban Issues and featured by CNBC TV on the programme ‘Young Turks’. He was selected as Cultural Ambassador by Govt. of Finland. He is a Member of, Governing Body, the Sushant School of Art & Architecture, and was elected as the youngest President of the Harvard Club of India and the first architect to achieve this distinction.

His firm C.P. Kukreja Architects (CPKA) is a premier architectural and engineering organization based in Delhi. CPKA is ranked amongst the top 100 architecture firms in the world and top 5 in Asia. CPKA has achieved the unique distinction of being the first design firm in India to have acquired a US-based design practice, specializing in sustainability. His firm has designed many greenfields as well as heritage/conservation buildings which including Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; International Buddhist Centre (Rumtek Monastery), New Delhi; Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Gangtok; Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida; a 100-storey tower (tallest building in India), India International Convention Exhibition Centre, Delhi with the world’s 3rd largest Convention Centre of 10000 capacity for hosting G-20 summit.  Extension Complex to Secretariat of Madhya Pradesh etc. He has been selected as the ‘Young Icon of the Decade’, ‘Best Citizen of India’ and most recently as the ‘Face of 21st Century Architecture in India’, and recently featured in ‘Who’s Who of Asia’.