1.7K 
Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture unveiled the last major element in the design of the Expo 2020 Dubai site earlier this week, an enormous open space covered in a dome-shaped trellis that will act as an immersive canvas for 360-degree projections. Taking its title from the historical name for Dubai, which also means "connection" in Arabic, Al Wasl Plaza will become the epicentre of a 4.38-kilometre site that will be teeming with millions of people from around the world in a little over three years' time.
Designed as a central hub where people of all backgrounds will be encouraged to "Connect Minds," the plaza boasts seven entrances and exits, permitting easy accessibility to the three thematic districts: Opportunity, Sustainability, and Mobility. Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture was awarded the design following a rigorous international competition.
"Expo 2020 Dubai will be an exceptional, unmissable, and breathtaking global destination, and we feel Al Wasl Plaza embodies that vision," said Gordon Gill. "We are creating a space that will be an architectural landmark not just for the six months of Expo but long into the future. We want Al Wasl Plaza, with its cutting-edge design, to inspire not just our generation but many generations to come."
The plaza's 65-metre-high domed trellis is the showpiece. Its translucency will allow the colourful projection to be visible from both inside and outside the plaza, where a diversity of restaurants, fountains, and parks will animate the space.
"Memorable moments are framed by memorable spaces. Al Wasl Plaza will be an inspirational location, exemplifying local culture and family values while also looking to the future," said Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau. "It is also the last major design element of the Expo site to be finalized. We look forward to watching the plaza develop alongside the rest of Expo 2020 Dubai."
Expo 2020 Dubai will open on October 20, 2020 and will end on April 10, 2021. Work on the plaza is scheduled to start in the coming months. An estimated 70 percent of all visitors are anticipated to come from outside the United Arab Emirates, the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history. The development will be built alongside the Expo's signature themed pavilions, which are currently on track for a soft completion date of October 2019.
