Expo 2020 Dubai: Find peace and solitude in the sounds of silence at Italy Pavilion

Dubai: Moments of tranquillity and quiet have become a rarity in our busy lives. If you’re seeking a spot to recalibrate, the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has just the place for you. Here, towards the end of their journey, visitors will find themselves engulfed in a blanket of silence.

An official video on the unique experience says people will be able to “abandon the choas” of the world and “rediscover the ability to listen”.

The silence of 800 panels

Bringing the technology of absolute silence is Italian furniture and furnishings manufacturer Caimi, which is also the pavilion’s supporter sponsor. At the end of your itinerary, you will walk 80 metres surrounded by 800 white acoustic panels made of fibre and polyester called ‘Flat’. The entire surface, not just the internal fibrous padding, absorbs sound.

Visitors will find these panels cut and pieced together at various angles – the design owing to a renowned father and son duo, Alberto Meda and Francesco Meda. Using Caimi’s ‘Snowsound’ technology, ‘Flat’ can be attached to walls and ceilings with a thickness of only 36mm.

100% recyclable material

Like so many of the Italy Pavilion’s elements focused on the circularity of resources, the silent area is too. At no cost to aesthetics, Caimi’s panels are 100 per cent recyclable. The padding material itself is made of 30 per cent recycled material.

Their eco-friendly quality is attested by the Greenguard Gold Certification – a standard awarded to products for low chemical emissions, keeping indoor air quality clean. This is all in line with the pavilion’s theme of ‘Beauty unites people’, which is also demonstrated by the dried orange peel dust and coffee grounds being used as paint alternatives.

- The writer is an intern with Gulf News.