Bangkota, the Philippines Pavilion at the 2020 Expo in Dubai is more than just an architectural masterpiece showcasing the Philippines. The Bangkota will open in Dubai on October 20, 2020.
The Philippines Pavilion is both an indoor and outdoor experience, with the undulating external structure acts as a protective, fertile habitat to the hidden treasures within.
Tapping into his own design philosophy of ‘Nature is Peace’, Royal took inspiration from the fact that coral reefs spread and thrive across the oceans, just as how Filipinos thrive across the world. This makes the Bangkota a transcendent architectural masterwork as it is as much about Filipinos as it is about the Philippines.
Further, Architect Pineda sees the Bangkota as an exploration of the Filipinos history that spans well before 1521, when Spanish colonizers first arrived in the Philippines, with famed curator Marian Roces responsible for piecing together the Filipinos millennia-long story, to ensure that the exhibits within the pavilion are based on solid historical and cultural facts.
Inside, visitors play an active role in creating the narrative sequence by being given the freedom to roam the pavilion’s spaces and exhibits. The interior spaces are designed to elicit both thought and action, offering varying levels of immersive experiences through art and film installations.
This is the reason why an entire network of collaborators such as National Artist for Music Ramon Santos, visual maverick Avid Liongoren, and 11 of the Philippines prominent artists have been called upon to contribute their own interpretation of the Bangkotas overarching theme of permeability, connectivity, and sustainability.
