France
France Pavilion “Lightspeed Inspiration”
Located in the Mobility District, the France Pavilion is designed by Atelier Perez Prado and Celnikier & Grabli Architects, with light as its architectural theme.
Host country/Organizer: Company Française des
Expositions (COFREX)
Exhibition design: Immersive(s) Group Scenography Team
Exhibition implementation: NUSSLI
The Pavilion is one of the largest on the World Expo site, with a surface area of 5,000 square meters, and is illuminated both day and night thanks to a lighting signature created by BOA Light Studio. On November 21st, the France Pavilion records more than 500,000 visitors. In addition, the France Pavilion is %70 self-sufficient in energy thanks to 2,500 m2 of photovoltaic solar tiles. It is also virtuous in its design because it will be completely dismantled at the end of Expo 2020 Dubai to be rebuilt on the CNES campus in Toulouse: this is the first time in the history of World Expos that the France Pavilion will have a second life. This Pavilion is an unforgettable showcase for French excellence and savoirfaire, promoting its innovations, talents, and assets. For six months, France shines internationally by highlighting unique and daring French innovations and creations in its permanent and temporary exhibitions: – Permanent exhibition: three successive spaces present a definition of progress, on the theme of light (with the original edition of the Encyclopedia by Diderot and dAlembert), mobility – our geographical area (with innovations from ENGIE x Paris Region, CNES, Renault Group, Accor, FLYING WHALES), and the world of tomorrow – the theme of the World Expo (with proposals from CNRS, CRI, Art Explora). In addition, artistic and cultural proposals are hosted on the promenade (Sép nd Danesh, lille 3000), in the introductory space (The Explorers) and on the upper floor of the Pavilion (Carlos Cruz-Diez, JeanFrançois Rauzier, Immertech, Mobilier National, Duvivier Canapés) – Temporary exhibitions: each month, an art form is featured (digital art on the history of Notre-Dame with Histovery and LoOréal, tableware with Chalhoub, kinetic art with Carlos Cruz-Diez, architecture with the Société du Grand Paris, fashion with Jean Paul Gaultier).
The Pavilion also aims to demonstrate France›s commitment to building the world of tomorrow through political, economic, cultural, and social initiatives and actions. This commitment is illustrated in particular in the programming of events of the France Pavilion, whose guideline is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the UN.
Jessica Préalpato, the World›s Best Pastry Chef in 2019, and Thomas Pesquet, French ESA astronaut, are the Ambassadors of the France Pavilion. As our Ambassador, Jessica Préalpato has created the Pavilion›s signature dessert, «Le Gustave», made only with Emirati and local products. It is available in the restaurants Paris-Versailles Café (ground floor) and Brillat-Savarin Restaurant (upper floor of the Pavilion).
