From a mesmerising light display inspired by our connection with nature, to thought-provoking conversations on sustainable and liveable cities of the future interspersed with films that present Singapore through its people, heritage and stories, the Singapore Pavilion is ready to welcome the world at Expo 2020 Dubai when it opens to the public from 1 October 2021.
Visitors will go on an experiential journey through the lushly-landscaped spaces that epitomise Singapore’s vision of becoming a City in Nature, which will come alive with a line-up of multimedia exhibits and engaging programmes that people from all walks of life can enjoy.
Mr. Larry Ng, Commissioner-General of the Singapore Pavilion, explains, "The realisation of the Singapore Pavilion is important for Singapore, as it provides us with the platform to connect with people from around the world and engage in important future-shaping conversations. As visitors experience the Pavilion through its welcoming spaces, digital exhibits and programmes, we hope that they will gain new perspectives on how nature and technology can be integrated into our urban spaces, and see the possibilities of how our cities can be designed to be sustainable, liveable and resilient."
Elaborating further, Ng shared, "Singapore, as a global hub, will continue to remain connected with the world. The Pavilion signals our readiness to lead and participate in conversations, as well as to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas between our people, innovators and businesses. We look forward to welcoming the world into our Pavilion, and igniting ideas through greater collaborations between our nations to overcome the global challenges of today."
A multi-faceted exploration of Singapore’s sustainability journey
Echoing the theme of "Nature. Nurture. Future.", the Singapore Pavilion is an architectural feat – a green, living self-sufficient ecosystem that embodies the nation’s journey towards growth, sustainability and resilience while confronting some of the most complex and challenging urban realities of our time.
Beyond the green architecture of the Pavilion, this guiding ethos of sustainable development is also distilled into multimedia showcases. At the City Cone, visitors will be taken on an immersive voyage, in a commissioned cinematic experience by leading Singaporean creative Brian Gothong Tan. Mapped onto the interior sloping wall of the City Cone, the panoramic film layers animated matte paintings, drone footage and hundreds of videos to depict environmental challenges faced by global urbanisation, and the innovative urban solutions Singapore has realised to create a city where the built environment co-exists in harmony with nature.
A kaleidoscopic composition of nature with the built environment from the City Cone multimedia show symbolises the liveability and resilience of cities
As night falls, visitors will be enthralled as the Singapore Pavilion comes to life with an enchanting light display. Designed by Singapore lighting design practice Light Collab, the nightly Biomorphosis light show is a spectacle of luminosity, shadows and sound that reflects Singapore as a green and sustainable city. Rhythmically pulsing along to a soundscape composed by Singaporean musician Don Richmond, the layers of lights illuminate and accentuate the Pavilion’s green landscape, evoking images of an enchanted forest and beckoning visitors to wander in and explore the seemingly living pavilion.
Other daily programme highlights over the six-month duration include Stories of Singapore at the Sky Market – curated screenings of award-winning documentaries and short films where visitors can get Singaporean perspectives on the most pressing challenges we face as a world today, including climate change, sustainable development, technological advancement and food resilience, as well as glimpses into our history, heritage and culture.
Visitors looking to get a closer look behind the design and the inner workings of the Singapore Pavilion can also opt for a delightful Story Walk, a tour with the Pavilion’s friendly guides. Taking place four times daily on weekday afternoons, storytelling guides will enthrall visitors with anecdotes, facts and figures about the Pavilion, Singapore and its people.
In addition, Singapore’s cinematic culture will take centre stage as part of the Singapore Film Night series, a monthly showcase of critically acclaimed local films. Visitors can anticipate films such as the family drama Ilo Ilo, the first Singaporean feature film to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival; the documentary The Songs We Sang, which captures the journey of the uniquely Singaporean genre of Xinyao music; the dark comedy Tiong Bahru Social Club; and 7 Letters, the emotive anthology of cinematic ‘love letters’ to Singapore by seven illustrious Singaporean filmmakers.
Visitors and business delegates who are keen to engage in in-depth conversations on how sustainability and innovation can unlock new opportunities at the Singapore Business Series, where enterprises share their knowledge, expertise, and innovations with a global audience. These sessions will take place in a hybrid webinar format which will also allow virtual participants to be part of the programme.
More information on these regular programmes is available in Annex A.
Special events offer unique experiences throughout the six-month duration
Singapore’s commitment to knowledge sharing and international collaboration extends beyond its Pavilion showcase, to participation in international dialogues.
Singapore will be co-organising a World Majlis panel discussion with the Expo organisers on 4 November 2021, titled Natural Cities: Preserving a slice of nature in our urban spaces. An international line-up of panelists, including Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Mr Lim Eng Hwee and Architect for the Singapore Pavilion and Founding Director of WOHA Architects Mr Wong Mun Summ, will discuss how Singapore’s experience in incorporating nature into our urban spaces can be replicated and scaled up anywhere in the world.
This will be followed by Singapore Day on 22 January 2022, and World Water Day in March 2022.
Please refer to Annex B for more information on these special events.
Led by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority in partnership with many other agencies and industry partners, the Singapore Pavilion will open its doors to the public on 1 October 2021. The Pavilion experience will also be made accessible to Singaporeans and international audiences virtually and allow those who are unable to travel to participate in selected festivities through a curated experience accessible throughout the Expo duration. More information will be available at virtualexpo.world from 1 October onwards.
The Pavilion has been realised with the support from the Pavilion Commissioning Panel (comprising senior management from key partner agencies and industry experts) and partners. Please refer to Annex C for more information on the partners of the Singapore Pavilion.
Join the conversation on the Singapore Pavilion via Facebook, Instagram (@expo2020singapore) and Twitter (@expo2020sg), and hashtags #Expo2020SG and #NatureNurtureFuture. For more details on the Singapore Pavilion and Expo 2020 Dubai, please visit www.singapore2020expo.gov.sg/ and www.expo2020dubai.com respectively.