The expo will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) between October 1, 2021 and March 30, 2022. The main theme of the event is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, with three key subthemes: Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility.
The France Pavilion, opposite the Emirates Pavilion in the Mobility Zone, will serve as an outstanding showcase for French excellence and savoir-faire. It will also illustrate France’s commitment to creating the future through political, economic, cultural and social action and initiatives.
The Compagnie Française des Expositions (Cofrex), the project owner of the France Pavilion, has selected Saint-Gobain’s SageGlass dynamic glazing to feature among the French innovations in the Pavilion. This smart glazing tints and clears automatically or on demand to control sunlight and prevent glare and excess heat – a hot topic in the warm desert climate of Dubai. According to Erik Linquier, Cofrex CEO and General Commissioner for France at Expo 2020 Dubai: “The architectural theme of the France Pavilion is ‘Light, Enlightenment’. Light will be presented in a variety of different forms throughout the exhibit, creating a unique experience where light is a source of deflection as well as reflection. SageGlass smart glazing is wholly in keeping with this theme, and the Pavilion will be a perfect place to showcase this innovation from Saint-Gobain.”
SageGlass automatically regulates the amount of light and heat entering the space using sensors placed in different areas of the facade – a feature that persuaded the project’s architects, Atelier du Prado and Celnikier & Grabli Architectes, to incorporate this state-of-the-art glazing into the Pavilion. Jean-Luc Perez, founding architect at the Atelier du Prado, weighs in: “SageGlass stays transparent even when it’s fully tinted. This helps keep visitors connected to the outside world and makes their surroundings more comfortable, as it significantly reduces heat influx to the Pavilion.”
Alain Garnier, Director of Sales and Business Development for Saint-Gobain SageGlass Middle East, sums it up: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work on this high-profile project with all the key players involved. Our SageGlass smart glazing is ideal for this project, reducing the building’s energy consumption while adapting to conditions outdoors. Taking these aspects of building design into account made it simpler to implement. The smart facade market segment is really taking off in the region, and we’re seeing a huge increase in take-up of dynamic glazing solutions like SageGlass.”
