The interior design encouraged visitors to create their own journeys within the space. Temporary exhibitions would be discovered deep within the ‘forest’ sensors in the floor, while walls and light tubes captured movement, touch and sound and translated these into signals that shot up the tubes and across the canopy to emerge elsewhere – even seen from outside. The accessible space was an entirely interactive exhibition, requiring no descriptions or staff to communicate. Transcending cultural and language barriers, it could be easily understood.

The theme of Expo 2020 Dubai was ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. The UK pavilion needed to create an original and inspiring visitor experience. We took the concepts of invisible digital networks and physical, natural underground networks, and made them visible and interactive through a grid of interconnected light tubes, hanging like stalactites from an over-sailing canopy roof.

The design had to demonstrate a careful use of materials, the ability to recycle and re-use, energy efficiency and good waste management. The underside of the roof undulated with strategic breaks placed in line with the high points to create passive stack ventilation. The kinetic energy generated by visitors walking through the exhibition was captured by smart floor tiles and powers the lighting. Further energy was generated by photovoltaic panels.