Metal sandwich panel insulation with Pearl rigid foam core installed for German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

The main site of Expo 2020 Dubai is a purpose-built precinct on a 438-hectare area (1083 acres), as large as 900 football pitches, located in the city of Dubai on the way to Abu Dhabi with three main themed districts – sustainability, mobility and opportunity – which are centred around the main event stage inside the focal point, Al Wasl Dome.

For the first time in world expo history, every participating country has its own pavilion, with over 192 countries taking part in the event.

German Pavilion – Campus Germany

The German Pavilion, known as Campus Germany, was designed to be a forward-looking place of knowledge, research, and human interaction at the Expo 2020 Dubai. A range of sustainability-themed examples of innovation and ingenuity was created to inspire visitors, both young and old.

Building use

Campus Germany features several interactive exhibits, special displays for children as well as information for adults, and a full-service restaurant.

The German Pavilion reflects the underlying campus idea. Rather than being a building in the traditional sense, it is a vertical ensemble of building volumes, surrounded by a connecting element with a central atrium at its heart.

Building insulation solution explained

Metal sandwich panels are insulating panels for residential, commercial, industrial, and a broad range of construction purposes. These sandwich panels consist of metal facings and an advanced PIR (polyisocyanurate) rigid core formulated by Pearl Polyurethane Systems and produced by Dubai-based panel manufacturer, Emirates Industrial Panel (EIP). This cladding product is lightweight and quick to fit, and offers excellent fire and smoke resistant properties.

An advantage is that these panels are thin and easy to handle, which makes them one of the most cost-effective methods for building insulation, while creating a smooth and sleek effect that is aesthetically pleasing.

Why is polyurethane-based insulation more sustainable?

Buildings are responsible for over 40 percent of global energy consumption and more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy lost through walls, roofs and windows is the largest single waste of energy in most buildings.

Polyurethane-based building insulation products provide a higher insulation value when compared to other comparable insulation materials such as mineral wool and fibreglass. Consequently, metal sandwich panels containing polyurethane are a more sustainable insulation solution due to the increased energy savings provided over a building’s lifespan.

What makes polyurethane insulation so attractive is its robust nature and longevity, meaning that metal sandwich panels last longer and do not need to be replaced as quickly as other insulation or cladding products. This reduces unnecessary wastage, which has a positive impact on the environment and the effects of climate change.

Located in the Expo’s ‘Sustainability’ area, Campus Germany’s ultimate client was the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, while Koelnmesse was responsible for organisation and operations. Concept, planning and realisation of the German Pavilion were handled by the German Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai Consortium, consisting of two companies, facts and fiction GmbH and NUSSLI Adunic. While facts and fiction was responsible for concept, exhibition, and media design and NUSSLI Adunic for construction, LAVA executed the architectural implementation of the concept on behalf of the joint venture.

Project details

Project: Campus Germany | Expo 2020 Dubai | German Pavilion

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Project use: Multipurpose exhibition building containing offices and F&B outlets

Completed: 2020

Panel Manufacturer: Emirates Industrial Panel (EIP)

Polyurethane Core Supplier: Pearl Polyurethane Systems

Product: Metal sandwich panel insulation – rigid foam core