Pavilion of Malaysia, Dubai World Expo 2020

Inspired by the natural landmarks in Malaysia: Taman Negara, Sungai Rajang and Gunung Kinabalu, the pavilion creates a different approach to the iconographic slant of the design with a reinterpretation towards those landmarks. The pavilion embodies the immediacy of Malaysians’ unique experience towards the nature- of walking into a forest with dappled light streaming through the canopy, the sound of falling water accompanying.

The design is kept to be elemental, biophilic yet sustainable. The building volume follows a stacking rhythmn to creates topographic terrain representing the mountain, while enveloped by a layer of kinetic canopy roof made up of reflective sculptures to creates movement with the wind and resulting in shimmering light effect. The surface of the terrain comprises a meandering water too. This experiential combination offers an architecture experience of wind, water, sun yet celebrating cross ventilation as a key tropical architectural characteristic.

To further underline the theme of ‘Energizing Sustainability’, the pavilion is built from modular and pre-fabricated components for the speed and efficiency of assembly, yet the pavilion also implements renewable energy system. It may used for multi-generations as it can be dismantled into parts and resurrect for another new functions when it sends back to the country.