The Luxembourgish architecture office METAFORM announces the opening of its first subsidiary in Dubai (UAE). The office, which is located in the Boulevard Plaza Tower 1, Downtown Dubai, will focus on the project realization of the Luxembourgish pavilion for the forthcoming World Expo that will take place in 2020. The new subsidiary will be responsible for handling the daily business concerning the EXPO project and will promote METAFORM’s architecture in the Middle East.

In 2017, METAFORM won the competition for the pavilion out of 19 submitted designs, prevailing against established architecture offices. The competition was called into being by the GIE (groupement d’intérêt économique), consisting of selected representatives of the Luxembourgish Ministry of Economy, Chambre de Commerce, Bâtiments Publics, SES Astra and Post Luxembourg.

For the festive inauguration of the new office, numerous representatives from Luxembourg and the Middle East will be present. The Luxembourgish Minister of Economy Etienne Schneider as well as the general commissioner of EXPO 2020 Maggy Nagel attended the event that took place on February 11, 2018, at the Burj Khalifa.

About the EXPO pavilion

The theme designated for the Luxembourg pavilion at Dubai EXPO2020 is “Opportunity”. It reflects the history of Luxembourg, its present and future. The proposed pavilion is like the country: small and ambitious, intriguing and reassuring, and above all generous and open.

The formal proposition is inspired by a Möbius strip, where twisting and folding of a ribbon results in one single surface, with no beginning and no end, symbolizing an infinity, and in the particular context of “cradle to cradle”, the circular economy. The limits between the interior and exterior are blurred. The single face of the ribbon is at once a floor, a wall, a ceiling, hence a multilayered scenography canvas. The proportions of the space change constantly, in terms of width, height, depth, view and perspective. Due to its very particular and unique landscape, Luxembourg City offers similar changes in perception. The aim was to give a hint of this experience while walking around the pavilion. At the same time, visual connections are created on different levels, between different stages, the ambiance and attitudes of people, thus enhancing the visitor’s curiosity. 

For more details, please refer to the following press kit: Luxembourg Pavilion at DUBAI EXPO2020

About METAFORM ME

Founding partner of METAFORM Middle East

Shahram Agaajani, Thierry Cruchten, Bahador Baradari and GG Kirchner

About METAFORM architects

METAFORM is an interdisciplinary team that specializes in architecture, interior design and product design. These different disciplines are considered as dependent and influential to each other.

A simple approach and a clear design language are the main focus of METAFORM. Each project, through the program and place, is an appropriate architectural, design and formal response, leading to a unique identity.
The style is never predetermined. A building does not stand alone. It equally belongs to its neighbours, street, public space … to the city itself. The range of activities varies from urbanism to detail design, together with different landscape and housing research.

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