Renowned architect Gordon Gill has brought international recognition to his home country of Jamaica, by making a truly remarkable contribution to the World Expo 2020 at Dubai, in the form of the Al Wasl Plaza. Built on a monumental scale, the plaza comprises 5 buildings – three office buildings, and two hotels – and the atmospheric epicenter of the Trellis, which is the world’s largest unsupported dome and immersive projection experience.

The plaza is the heartbeat of the World Expo, and a centerpiece of the entire District. The Master Plan of the Expo and the Plaza design were conceptualized and executed by Chicago-based firm, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The Trellis, the largest spherical media platform in the world, covers the plaza which serves as a park in day time and a 360-degree visual experience in the evening. It includes an immaculate garden and a triumphant performance venue.

The versatility of the structure allows it to host large events, as well as intimate operations. After the Expo, this 32 million square feet site, which is also adjacent to the new airport and the third-busiest deep sea port of the world, will become a mixed-use technology hub and an urban innovation lab – equipped with hotels, a convention center, a Science Exploratorium and the UAE Mobility Institute.

The World Expo is a prestigious platform that showcases the greatest technological and architectural innovations of our time. Expo 2020, which was postponed owing to the pandemic, will be ongoing from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022. This year, the Expo will focus on three themes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Bringing his signature talent and sharp aesthetic to this large-scale project, Jamaican architect Gordon Gill has created a permanent fixture of contemporary design. In giving the World Expo its beating heart, he has brought pride to the magnificent country of Jamaica, which itself is known as the Heartbeat of the World.