In pictures: See the glittering Opportunity Pavilion and its inspiring visitor journey

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion sits at the tip of its representative Thematic District, glittering in dreamy colours of violet, purple and periwinkle. Opportunity as one of the three subthemes examines how we can unlock the potential of individuals and communities, highlighting that each of us has a role to play in creating positive change. This subtheme, along with Expo’s overall theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, is a natural fit with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion is where Expo 2020 brings to life the SDGs. The pavilion seeks to raise visitors’ awareness of the SDGs and the issues surrounding them through a simple message: a small change can have a big ripple effect and together, through our collective action, we can create safer, cleaner, healthier world for everyone.

The pavilion was designed by AGi Architects, which essentially conceived it as a large plaza, providing continuity to the Opportunity District. The design builds on the rich urban history of the plaza throughout millennia, from Roman times to the modern day – the concept of a plaza is universal and lends itself to multiple cultures, whether it is a piazza, saha, common or the town square. This universal urban language is important, because the pavilion aims to be a platform for social and cross-cultural engagement.

Floating 32 metres above the ground, the pavilion’s canopy represents clouds and the dreams that we all aspire to achieve. The clouds are ethereal, composed of six textile layers of fabric on metal structures, protecting the plaza from direct sun exposure. The clouds are in constant transformation thanks to the ways in which people view them in space and the changes in light and colour at various times of the day.

A terracotta ‘carpet’ covers the ground and the pavilion’s facades – the first time this type of ceramic material has been used in the UAE in this way. This creates a backdrop that neutralises the impact of the buildings, and places emphasis on the pavilion’s public spaces and how humans interact within it. It is in this carpet – the Earth – where the human activity takes place. The space is designed to be appropriated by the visitors, to share experiences and generate a community of knowledge and mutual respect.

To bridge the terrain’s slope, the pavilion’s plaza is organised on two levels, creating a basin where visitors are metaphorically spaced in-between the clouds above and the Earth below and providing a unique, playful place for social interaction and cultural understanding.

The #UNHub at Expo: The United Nations is located in Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion, where it is planning a series of events and activities that reflect the values of multilateralism and showcase the role of international cooperation and joint actions to overcome global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Parallel ‘tracks’ run through the pavilion, focusing on water, food and energy (three key SDGs). These tracks/resources have been chosen because they are basic human needs and essential for progress. The tracks are brought to life by three ‘guides’, respectively in food, water and energy, who have taken action in their communities. Their work, while not requiring a lot of resources or money, has created a big difference and illustrates the Opportunity Pavilion’s message that small actions can have a huge ripple effect.

The Guides: Water – Abel Cruz has helped to solve the problem of water shortages in Lima, Peru, by setting up fog nets that harvest fog and turn it into water; Food – Mariam Al Juneibi is a sustainable organic farmer who promotes sustainable farming and healthy eating practices, while also encouraging people to grow vegetables in the UAE; Energy – Fatma Juma Haji is a master trainer who teaches other women to install solar panels, helping to create sustainable energy in Zanzibar, where less than four per cent of the population has access to electricity.

The Pledge Room completes the exhibition experience. Visitors enter this upside-down space ‘through the clouds’ and are asked to commit to a course of action that will make a difference in their own and their community’s lives. Pledges made are then transported to the ‘garden’, a representation situated on the ceiling of the room. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with ALEC FITOUT and ICARIA Atelier.

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion hosts Expo 2020’s Global Best Practice Programme, which – under the theme of Small Steps, Big Leaps: Solutions for Sustainable Impact – spotlights simple but effective initiatives that can be adapted, replicated or scaled for enhanced global impact, and are linked to the SDGs.

The Programme and the Opportunity Pavilion’s main exhibition echo the same message: it is our collective actions that lead to a better world. The Best Practice Area within the pavilion provides a platform to showcase the 50 projects supported under the Programme since it began in 2019 – spotlighting individuals who have become agents of change and have helped to build a brighter world by unlocking the untapped potential of their communities globally.

During event time, visitors to Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion will have further opportunities to explore the SDGs and understand their importance through talks, workshops, panel discussions, and informal music and performance-based activities. The #UNHub will complement these planned opportunities with events and programming around international days and thematic weeks observed during Expo 2020. This programming will be implemented in collaboration with UN system entities, Expo 2020, Member States and other stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The United Nations works for a world in which everyone thrives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion will offer visitors a chance to change the world through the products they buy—and the coffee they drink. Its dedicated store includes unique items from One Good Thing, a UAE-based SME that supports innovative, sustainable social enterprises around the world, giving them a platform to expand their reach. Other retailers include carefully selected Expo licensees such as Mirzam Chocolate, Bateel Dates and The Camel Soap Factory.

At Canvas by Coffee Culture, the focus is on taste education and interaction between food producers. Co-founded by Stephan Bhoyroo and Abdulla Ibrahim Suhail, the Emirati coffee roastery is designed to welcome Dubai’s ever-evolving creative community who seek a space in which to work, meet, design and create. The menu will feature traditional dishes from the UAE, Zanzibar and Peru, paying homage to the origins of the pavilion’s ‘guides’. Restaurant chefs will prepare the dishes using locally-sourced ingredients where possible due to seasonality.