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Three spectacular Expo entry portals that will welcome millions of visitors from around the world to Expo 2020 have been revealed.
The move comes with just over 250 days to go until the opening of the event in Dubai.
Conceived by Expo 2020 in collaboration with top British architect Asif Khan and his studio, the portals are a futuristic adaptation of the traditional mashrabiya, an intricate design used across the region to regulate light and airflow.
Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We cannot wait to open our doors to the world on October 20th, and the expo entry portals will provide a wonderful way to welcome millions of people from across the globe to show, giving a first taste of the amazing architecture and ground-breaking innovation they will experience all around the site.”
The remarkable portals are woven entirely from strands of ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre composite that lend incredible structural strength.
This enables the ethereal structures to stand 21 metres high – taller than a six-storey building – and 30 metres long without any additional support.
Each portal features two vast doors, 21 metres high and 10.5 metres wide, that will be opened every morning of the 173 days of Expo 2020 in a symbolic act of welcoming the world.
Adding to the rich history of innovative structures from past World Expos, these portals are a future form of architecture inspired by the aesthetics of the region.
Khan said: “The portals are the first thing you see as you approach the site, so they are a landmark at the beginning and end of your journey at Expo 2020.
“I would like visitors to Expo, especially children, to be inspired by architecture they have never seen before, and to be excited that it is part of the heritage of the region.
“Passing through the doors represents a physical and symbolic act of moving from the past into the future.”
Source: breakingtravelnews.com
