Pavilion’s design and materials chosen to reduce environmental impact

Grimshaw created Qatar’s national pavilion for the Rio+20 sustainability conference in just five weeks.

The 500sq m pavilion was inspired by the wings of a hovering falcon.

It was used to showcase to the world the Middle Eastern state’s commitment to investing its resources in sustainable growth and development.

Themes included “building for the future” and “preserving the past”.

All materials were procured locally, reducing embodied energy, and it was assembled by local contractosrs in Rio de Janeiro, shrinking the carbon impact of the construction.