The German Pavilion at EXPO 2017

The EXPO 2017 project is definitely not business-as-usual even for a trade fair builder like mac messe- und ausstellungscenter Service GmbH of Rhineland-Palatinate with more than 40 years of experience. In cooperation with the lead agency insglück and the architectural company gtp2, they will make the German Pavilion at EXPO 2017 a reality, in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is responsible for the German involvement; the Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC) will organize and operate the pavilion under the EXPO motto ”Future Energy“.

The bidding consortium made up of insglück, gtp2 and mac edged out six other competitors in the final round of an EU-wide tendering procedure in May 2016.

The energy transition ”Made in Germany“ is the pavilion’s theme. ”The visitor embarks on a kind of adventure tour,“ says insglück Managing Director Detlef Wintzen. ”While he makes his way through the pavilion, he can learn about the significance of the energy transition in ways that are both entertaining and emotional. The perspective begins at a global level and proceeds to local and personal levels.“ When the visitor enters the pavilion, he receives a SmartStick with which exhibits can be activated, background info can be called up and knowledge collected. Eighteen exhibits present the areas of solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass energy and hydropower. Although the syndicate members insglück, gtp2 and mac are working together in this constellation for the first time, they have known one another for years. ”We got to know each other as members of the industry association FAMAB e.V. and grew to appreciate the others’ work. That’s why we did not hesitate when gtp2 Managing Director Antony de Taranto asked if we wanted to take part in the bidding for the German Pavilion,“ says mac Managing Director Gernot Becker.

Their cooperative efforts are running smoothly. ”We communicate in completely different channels,“ says the gtp2 managing director. ”In addition to our regular and frequent meetings, we often telephone via Skype. All our data are stored in a cloud so that everyone has access to the documents and can work on them at the same time.“

The work is clearly allocated. mac is responsible for the structural realization of the project, that is, the facade design and interior construction of the German Pavilion. The trade fair experts are also planning and coordinating the technical equipment, including smoke detectors, air conditioning, sanitary facilities and sprinkler system. gtp2 has the responsibility for architectural management and insglück for creative development, design and implementation. More than anything else, the logistics of the project pose a great challenge. For the first time ever the EXPO will take place in Central Asia. The city of Astana, which has no access to the sea, lies more than 4300 kilometers in a straight line from headquarters in Langenlonsheim. Trucks carrying structural parts to the site will be on the road for more than one week.

”Think local, act global“ is the chosen motto. All the engineering or construction design will take place at Rhineland-Palatinate, with most services provided directly in Kazakhstan. The trade fair experts can fall back on a worldwide network of active partners, including IFES members in Turkey and Russia, for additional assistance.

Apart from the logistics, many other aspects differ from everyday business. ”A presence at a world exhibition cannot be compared to a trade fair booth,“ Becker says. ”We know all about the spatial and technical conditions for a fair, but in Astana everything is different.“

Therefore, the team has to familiarize themselves with the conditions on site. What are the customs and import regulations, how do the local laws and building codes differ from Germany’s, what are the requirements for fire protection and static electricity?

All these issues have to be clarified in advance.

Where cultural differences are concerned, mac has the advantage of having worked for many years in Central Asia. Besides the previously mentioned partner network, the company has had its own branch office in Shanghai since 2000. Consequently, they know the market and the local mentality very well. For Kazakhstan in particular mac has two aces up its sleeve. An employee who comes from Kazakhstan is thoroughly versed in local customs and traditions and an architect who is based in Astana. The world exhibition will take place from 10 June to 10 September 2017. In January construction working began at the pavilion’s facade and interior, which covers nearly 1700 square meters. Sometimes work has to be done at outdoor temperatures close to minus 30 degrees Celsius, just one more challenge that makes this project very special. TEXT IFES