India Pavilion recognised as ‘one of the most iconic pavilions’ at Expo 2020 Dubai
American Institute of Architects says the pavilion expresses India’s varied cultures
Dubai: India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has been recognised by American Institute of Architects (AIA), a 164-year-old international consortium of architects, as one of the most iconic pavilions at Expo.
The announcement came during an event titled ‘Making of India Pavilion’ on November 13 at India Pavilion, in the presence of Chief Guest Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai.
Harvard alumni and Principal Architect of India Pavilion Dikshu C Kukreja spoke at the event organised by AIA, presenting a discourse on ‘Making of India Pavilion’. Dr Puri unveiled ‘Five Decades of India’s Built Environment’, a compendium that documents the transformations that have taken place in the built environment of India, authored by Kukreja.
During the event, dignitaries in the architecture fraternity took a tour of the Indian Pavilion and learned from Kukreja about the idea and philosophy behind the design of India Pavilion.
Speaking about India Pavilion’s design, AIA President Daniel S. Hart said: “What you’ve accomplished in this building is that it’s not just the architecture that you have created but the possibilities that it represents and you’ve done a beautiful job in making that manifest.”
Sherif Anis, AIA Middle East Chapter Abu Dhabi and UAE Executive Director of Royal Institute of British Architects, UK, said: “India’s rich history is hard to express in a single building but this pavilion has been able to do that very beautifully.”
‘Amalgamation of opinions’
Dr Puri said: “I thank the [AIA] for choosing the India Pavilion as one of the best pavilions. It is a testament to the fact that a rather good job has been done and congratulations to [Kukreja] for the same. India is home to one-sixth of humanity and in such a large country, there are several opinions and ideas. Architect Dikshu has done a brilliant job of dealing with this challenge and creating a pavilion which is a beautiful amalgamation of these opinions.”
Kukreja said: “Architecture is an amalgamation of creativity and engineering. For us, representing India on an international platform meant developing a design that creates a meaningful dialogue between the tangible and intangible aspects of the built form. This was a very unique project to work on because it is showcased on a global stage where you have an assortment of architecture from around the world.”
The event was attended by architect delegates from across the world, the Indian diaspora, dignitaries from Dubai and media.