In October 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai opened to visitors from around the world. The six-month-long event, with the theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, showcases innovation, art, and culture from the UAE and across the globe. Amongst almost 200 country pavilions, one highlight is the USA Pavilion. This explores the USA’s many innovations and contributions to the world: past, present, and future.
To find out more, blooloop spoke with USA Pavilion Commissioner General Robert Clark. We also spoke to several key team members at Thinkwell Group, the global experience design and production company, which designed and produced the USA Pavilion.
The USA Pavilion
The USA Pavilion tells a story about how American invention and innovation has changed the lives of billions all over the world. It is an ideal story for Expo 2020 Dubai, as it touches on the event’s theme across the whole guest journey.
“The USA Pavilion’s theme, ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Future’ celebrates the people, ideas, and American contributions that have changed and improved lives in the United States and around the world,” says Clark.
“The United States participates in Expos to share American culture, engage global audiences, and also to showcase our values, including free and fair trade and representative government.”
A series of eight exhibits and presentations take visitors on a journey through the past, present, and future of US innovation. This features iconic American inventions, individuals, and companies.
The visitor journey
Upon arrival, guests step onto a slowly moving walkway that proceeds through the pavilion. This leads them through several highlights, as Craig Hanna, chief creative officer at Thinkwell explains:
“Guests see the Statue of Liberty torch, “painted” in mapped projection, as it transforms through time. They see Thomas Jefferson’s personal Quran, one of Alexander Graham Bell‘s first telephone prototypes, and the first iPhone.”
Once they step off the moving walkway, the guest journey culminates in a horizontal theatre experience that takes place almost 40-feet horizontally over their heads. Meanwhile, outside, a SpaceX Falcon-9 reproduction draws visitors to the pavilion.
“This is the second tallest element at the expo, and visitors can see it from across the site,” adds Hanna.
Much thought has gone into the visitor journey, says Amin Rashmani, managing director of Thinkwell EMEA:
“Guests can expect a linear, purposely-paced, thoughtfully curated journey exploring the United States as the leader in individual liberty and innovation. The USA Pavilion celebrates and explores the unique American entrepreneurial spirit. This is something that has shaped the world, from the telephone to electricity, to automobiles, to air travel, to the internet, to mobile devices, to space exploration.”
The journey through America’s past, present, and future gives guests a sense of how far we’ve come. Plus, it also inspires them for what lies ahead,” says Clark.
A piece of history on display at the USA Pavilion
Visitors can also see an interesting piece of US history on display for the first time outside of the country:
“In one of the exhibits, visitors can see the Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence,” explains Clark. “For the first time, this important artefact of American history has left the United States. It has travelled from its home at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. to be displayed at the first World’s Fair in the Middle East.”
“It was an honour to host Librarian of Congress Dr Carla Hayden recently. She shared her insight into the historical significance of including the Quran in the USA Pavilion exhibit. We will also host an expert on Thomas Jefferson in March.”
Events and experiences
In addition to the day-to-day visitor experience, there are several events and experiences taking place in the USA Pavilion. For instance, there is a full programme of cultural performances and speakers. There is also as well as engagement with Youth Ambassadors from all over the United States.
“The USA Pavilion celebrates the richness and diversity of the United States through the American Cultural Performers who hail from across our country,” says Clark. “Performances include Native American dance, tap, ballet, acrobatics, spoken word, jazz, bluegrass, country, rock, classical, marching bands, cheerleading, and much more.
“To promote mutual understanding and engage global audiences, the USA Pavilion hosts expert speakers who share American perspectives. They participate in programming focused on Expo’s ten different theme weeks, discussing the merits and benefits of principles we support.”
“Throughout their visit, guests encounter our ‘Faces of America’: 75 Youth Ambassadors who are part of the USA Pavilion experience. Youth Ambassadors provide tours and context for Pavilion exhibits, creating people-to-people links with visitors from around the world.”
In addition, the Department of Commerce will host its annual TradeWinds conference in March, during Expo 2020. This will bring over 100 American companies to connect with Middle Eastern and international partners. The US-UAE Business Council is also hosting events to coincide with each of the Expo theme weeks. It recently hosted a large event promoting the American aerospace industry during the Dubai Air Show.
Meanwhile, US states plan to host trade events. They will bring delegations to Expo 2020 Dubai to promote their agricultural and commercial exports, tourism, and much more.
The inspiration behind the USA Pavilion
The external building façade is designed by Woods Bagot and takes inspiration from L’Enfant’s design for Washington, D.C.
“It is through further development of his plans that a series of cascading stars emerged. And it is through this inspiration that a “Star Field” emerged as the Pavilion Facade Concept,” says Rashmani.
“The story led the design,” adds Hanna. “We knew from the start we wanted to use the star motif from the exterior as a repeatable element within. This then drove a contemporary approach to the look and feel.
“As we dug deeper into the stories, we discovered that the “constant” was the idea of freedom that enables a dynamic society to live, create, and prosper. This is the core principle upon which the United States was formed,” says Rashmini.
“It became the inspiration of our theme: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Future.”
An outsider perspective
A lot of the inspiration also came from Thinkwell’s creative director, Pete Ford, according to Chuck Roberts, senior art director at Thinkwell:
“Pete is Australian and an expert at creating world-class Expo pavilions. He is uniquely suited to be the Pavilion’s Creative Director specifically because he is an outsider. His perspective on America as a world leader and absolute powerhouse of ideas and innovation is fresh and clear. He isn’t hampered at all by modesty or uncertainty about the USA’s place in the world.
“Pete brought a genuinely inspiring perspective. He showed up, full of enthusiasm, and we all worked out the initial design together.”
USA: past, present, and future
Speaking about the benefits of taking part in such an event, Clark says:
“World’s Fairs bring people together from every corner of the globe to innovate, collaborate, and showcase their vision for the future.”
“The Pavilion is a platform to engage foreign audiences on American values and innovation; showcase American culture; invite visitors to study, travel, and invest in the United States; and highlight our leadership on global issues such as climate, space, food security, health, and innovation.
“This is an opportunity for the United States to showcase our commitment to prosperity, opportunity, and innovation. It is also a chance to build bridges with the 192 nations participating at Expo 2020 Dubai.”
The wider themes of Expo 2020 Dubai
Under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 Dubai also has three key subthemes. These are Sustainability, Opportunity, and Mobility. The USA Pavilion has touched on the connections between each of these key topics.
“Connecting Minds, Creating the Future is at the heart of the USA Pavilion,” says Rashmani. “The experience highlights what makes America great since 1776 – bringing the best of the world together to a place that allows and encourages them to create a brighter future for all. We focus this theme and subthemes by contextualising it into the American vernacular and exploring ‘what’s next’ for the USA and the world.”
Mobility, where the USA Pavilion sits, is at the heart of the American experience, he adds:
“America didn’t invent the car, but it did invent the car industry, thus creating a more mobile and better world. We explore the future and how that will lead to a seismic shift in the way we all live. We also explore the future of the most exciting of transport systems, space travel and how the new space race is being led by the private industry. To be mobile is to be dynamic. This is the heart of the USA pavilion.”
For a country known as the land of opportunity, meeting this subtheme was easy, showcasing the nation’s entrepreneurial spirit. Meanwhile, sustainability is explored through the presentation of the cutting-edge technologies and thinking that is taking us to Mars.
Pavilion showcases the USA on a global scale
Expo 2020 Dubai is a celebration of science, art, and culture from around the globe. For the USA and the other participating countries, this World Expo also is a chance to come together and explore ideas, innovations, and solutions for better living as we look to the future.
“We are showcasing American culture, values, and technology to a global audience on-site and millions more through online engagement,” says Clark.
“Past World’s Fairs have introduced ground-breaking US technology – including x-ray machines, electricity, typewriters, and touchscreens. They have also showcased iconic American destinations, like Disneyland and the Statue of Liberty.”
As well as taking part in Expo 2020 Dubai, the United States has also submitted a bid to host the World’s Fair in 2027 in Minnesota. If successful, it will invite the world to see innovative and collaborative solutions to our shared global challenges.
“With an estimated 7.1 million visitors, including 300,000 from abroad, Expo 2027 will showcase US businesses in global health and sustainability. It will encourage tourism, promote exports, create well-paying construction and hospitality jobs. It will also provide another platform to engage foreign audiences on issues that are important to America,” adds Clark.
“We hope to bring the World’s Fair back to the United States in 2027.”
USA Pavilion: a collaborative project
For a project of this scale, all the teams involved needed to be able to work together towards a shared goal.
“Thinkwell was contracted in January 2020 to develop the exhibition and operate the USA Pavilion,” says Clark. “Their experienced creative team designed, fabricated, and installed each exhibit in partnership with the US Department of State.”
As with all Thinkwell projects, the Thinkwell team engaged closely with the client at every step of the project.
“Throughout the design and construction, the State Department was fully engaged, informed, and supportive with approvals, liaison with Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as with internal stakeholder parties of the Administration. The transition between the two administrations was also seamless. It was a truly collaborative effort.”
“Working with the State Department has been a good experience,” adds Hanna. “We all worked together to formulate the public diplomacy of the USA Pavilion together. It was a heady learning experience for us all.”
Making a memorable experience
Thinkwell has been involved in Expo Dubai 2020 from the bid stage as well subsequent involvement following the award, participating in the content master planning and guest activations throughout the site.
“The USA Pavilion is our first expo pavilion project, not only for design but as a turnkey solution, inclusive of the 6-months of expo operation,” explains Rashmini.
However, the Thinkwell team who worked on this project has had extensive experience in previous expos and live events on a global scale. The company worked on creative development for some corporate pavilions and the nighttime spectacular for Aichi in 2005. It has also worked on two Olympics Games, London in 2012 and PyeongChang in 2018.
How to design for a World Expo
Roberts has worked on several different pavilion designs, starting with Expo 86 in Vancouver, and gives some thoughts on how to design for a World Expo. He says that there are two significant challenges to consider:
“The first is limited time. This Expo has 200 pavilions. Let’s estimate that guests will spend an average of 30 min per pavilion. That’s 100 hours of pavilions, 10 ten-hour days! Guests are rushing to see as much as they can. When I was visiting, I saw people running past some fantastic things and not looking around at all.”
“The other thing is heat and other environmental factors. Dubai can be very hot. Waiting in a queue that doesn’t seem to move for 20 minutes can make guests cranky. Your show had better be good when folks get inside.”
“Expos are unique in nature,” says Rashmini. “They focus on educating and entertaining a mass audience in a limited amount of time. Meanwhile, they also showcase cultural innovations of countries and foster cross-country collaboration.
“Expos are not theme parks, are not museums, are not brand centres, but rather a combination of all. As a result, the content, planning, messaging, curation, story immersion, wow factor, memorable experience, and legacy must be carefully taken into consideration in the development of the theme and design.”
Overcoming challenges
As with all large projects, there were some challenges along the way. Not least, the global pandemic, which led to the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Working during the pandemic had both positives and negatives throughout,” says Hanna. “The positive? Expo got pushed a full year. This gave Thinkwell time to hone, refine, and improve the guest experience and narrative.”
While the negative side was the forced remote working, Rashmini says:
“Thinkwellians, and our collaborators across the world, have long been accustomed to working while on the road, virtually. We often work across time zones due to the nature of our international presence. We have offices in Los Angeles, Montreal, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.”
A project to remember
Now that the USA Pavilion is open and visitors from around the world are enjoying it, the team reflects on some of their personal high points.
“The entire pavilion works as a unit,” says Roberts. “We had the unusual opportunity to design and control almost every detail of the guest’s journey from beginning to end. We designed the building’s internal fit-out, exhibit messages, the order in which things occurred, wayfinding, lighting, graphics, display technology, even business cards, and stationery. So, the entire experience works in concert.”
Hanna says:
“The moving walkway becomes a dark ride of sorts. It allows visitors to experience the pavilion at the pace we wanted as the narrative unfolded. The capacity of pavilions is often overlooked at expos. But we believe the ROI comes from people experiencing the pavilion, not the long queues outside.
“In particular, we are extremely pleased with the horizontal theatre finale experience in the ceiling above the guests. This features silently moving and often massive objects coming into place that are then “painted” in moving, mapped projection. We are proud of that, as well as the Falcon-9 outside, which is a huge testament to American innovation.”
USA Pavilion is delighting audiences
“I am also extremely proud that we could recreate a 1-1 replica of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket,” agrees Rashmini.
“It took countless hours to manage all the stakeholders, logistics, approvals, construction, and theming to install the rocket in under seven months. Having the replica as an external exhibit item among the tallest structures on site is a rewarding accomplishment. And is a powerful statement for the pavilion.”
Clark adds:
“Visitors have been delighted by all that the USA Pavilion has to offer. Visitors to the USA Pavilion have enjoyed the special displays of American history, culture, and innovation.”
Expo 2020 Dubai is open until 31 March 2022. For those unable to visit in person, there is also a virtual USA Pavilion. This interactive experience uses 360-degree videos and photos, taking viewers on a journey through the past, present, and future of US innovation. It features iconic American companies such as Ford, Apple, Honeywell, Citibank, and many others.
