United Kingdom Pavilion, Expo 2020

The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai stood as a bold expression of British creativity and innovation. With the theme “Innovating for a Shared Future”, the pavilion featured a sculptural, AI-generated façade designed by renowned architect Es Devlin. Its cylindrical timber-and-aluminium structure invited visitors to contribute words that formed a continuously evolving collective message—a striking metaphor for global connection and collaboration.

Design Confidence played a key role in delivering this vision, ensuring the pavilion’s engineering systems supported its ambitious design while meeting stringent safety and regulatory requirements. The team provided expert advisory and engineering services focused on fire and life safety strategy, occupant comfort, and crowd dynamics.

This included peer reviews, smoke and evacuation modelling, and coordination with local authorities to ensure compliance with Expo 2020 and Dubai Civil Defence codes. The consultancy also provided input on accessibility and environmental comfort, adapting the design to the unique climate conditions of Dubai without compromising its architectural integrity.

Design Confidence’s integrated approach ensured that the UK Pavilion was not only visually compelling, but also safe, functional, and future-ready—demonstrating how safety and innovation can work hand in hand on a global stage.