Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai: Circular Architecture and Cultural Diplomacy

The Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Carlo Ratti, Italo Rota, Matteo Gatto, and F&M Ingegneria, with an exhibition layout by Davide Rampello, has attracted over 200,000 in-person visitors and 3.4 million virtual users since opening on October 1, 2021. The pavilion's architecture features a dynamic facade made from 2 million recycled plastic bottles formed into nautical ropes, creating a naturally ventilated envelope that eliminates the need for air conditioning. Its roof consists of three boat hulls that can be repurposed after the expo. On October 23, the pavilion hosted the European Union Honour Day and the tenth anniversary of the UN Action on Nutrition (2016-2025), with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in attendance. During Space Week, a panel on lunar habitat solutions featured Severino Meregalli (DEVO Lab – SDA Bocconi), Valentina Sumini (MIT Media Lab), and designer Giulio Cappellini. The pavilion's design emphasizes circularity, using recycled and recyclable materials, and includes a Belvedere—a circular structure topped with a dome covered in Mediterranean scrub plants, referencing Renaissance gardens. The exhibition explores the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" and Italy's sub-theme "Beauty Unites People."