Slovenian Pavillon at Expo 2021 in Dubai

Slovenian Pavillon at Expo 2021 in Dubai

With a total surface of 460 m2 it is by far among the biggest projects in the MEA region.

We are very proud to be a part of the Slovenian pavilion at EXPO 2021 in Dubai, which showcases Slovenia as the green heart of Europe, situated at an important European crossroads combining natural elements: water, forest and wood. It features an eye-catching 6 meters high Urbanscape® Green wall with 45,000 plants. The wall is designed in 11 varieties of locally grown plants in green shades to represent Slovenian forests. The Slovenian Pavilion and its Urbanscape® Green wall is unique for its lush green impact in a desert environment like Dubai, UAE. With a total surface of 460 m2 it is by far among the biggest projects in the MEA region. The Green Wall covers an area of 460 m2, with about 1500 installed green wall panels (30 are custom made) and 45.000 hand-planted local plants selected by the client. The load-bearing structure of green wall panels is represented by more than 1000 meters of various profiles.

A lush green impact in a desert environment like Dubai

The project started in the spring of 2020 and it was definitely specific from several perspectives. It required combining different approaches and a lot of coordination. We had been challenged to find a solution that would represent Slovenia and would at the same time fit in the local environment and climate.
Around the building there was a pool area representing Slovenian lakes as our natural treasure. This meant our solution had to be hydroponic based and not soil based to avoid small soil particles leaching in the pool area which could stain the water.

The installation of the profiles took place in extreme conditions, at extremely high outdoor temperatures. During the installation, the planted plants were already thriving quite nicely which was also noticed by swarms of grasshoppers. Luckily for us, they fed only on one plant species which meant we had to replant “only” a few thousand plants.

The Green Wall covers an area of approximately 500 m2, with about 1,500 installed green wall panels (30 are custom-made) and 45,000 hand-planted local plants selected by the client. The load-bearing structure of the green wall panels is represented by more than 1,000 meters of various profiles. It weights up to 45 kg/m2 when fully saturated with water. 

The Urbanscape® Green wall at Expo 2020 is hydroponic based. The growing media used in the green wall is rock mineral, as a light and inert substrate, where nutrient dosing is easier to regulate and the environment is more controlled than in conventional soil substrate mixtures; it is a pH-neutral substrate (7). The rock mineral growing media has an enormous water retention capacity (up to 90% of volume) and is therefore even more suitable for growing plants in arid climate.We are using the most advanced irrigation systems for watering the green walls. The average water consumption on this project will range from less than 2 liters/m2 in winter, and up to 4 liters/m2 in summer (with temperatures exceeding 40°C).

Designer: Urbanscape
Year: 2021
City: Dubai

owner website

Follow us on our social channels.

Follow us on the channel that best suits you to receive our latest updates!

Twitter Facebook-f Linkedin Youtube
NEW

LATEST POSTS

BROWSE ALL

Green roofs for urban rainwater and stormwater management

The new paper by WGIN’s EU Chapter “Green Roofs for Urban Rainwater and Stormwater Management”, explores how green roofs can contribute to more climate-resilient cities. The paper highlights their role in managing rainfall, reducing pressure on urban drainage systems, and delivering wider benefits for biodiversity, urban cooling and well-being. Published ahead of the European Commission’s forthcoming Climate Resilience Framework, the paper underscores the importance of integrating green infrastructure and nature-based solutions into urban planning and climate adaptation strategies. Download the paper here.

Green roof research measures performance, but not yet people

New study maps 25 years of green roof literature and finds affordability and social equity nearly invisible. Submitted by WGIN members Ferre Maes and Bert Belmans In a study published in City and Environment Interactions, WGIN members Ferre Maes and Bert Belmans, together with Roméo Delcroix (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), analysed more than 3,500 green roof articles published between 2000 and 2025. They tracked how often 13 performance dimensions appear in titles, abstracts and keywords. The results show a clear imbalance. Stormwater management appears in 37% of publications, urban heat island mitigation in 19% and building energy in 18%. Affordability (1.7%) and social equity (3.2%) are among the least visible topics in the field, and have remained marginal for 25 years. The study does not show that green roof implementation is inequitable; it shows that the published evidence cannot yet answer this question. Research on parks, urban greening and green stormwater infrastructure engages with affordability and equity far more often, which shows this gap can be closed. There is no reason green roof research can’t do the same. A call to action WGIN’s mission is to advocate and promote the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning, globally. But planning decides who benefits, and evidence on who benefits is largely missing. If we want cities, funders and residents to trust green roofs as a public good, we need to be open about what we know and what we don’t. That openness is also an opportunity: evidence on affordability and equity is what opens the door to public funding, social housing and neighbourhoods green roofs have yet to reach. We call on our community to: Count people, not just performance. In research papers, project reports and case studies alike, report cost, access and who benefits alongside technical results. In publications, name affordability and equity explicitly in titles and abstracts so the work can be found. Plan for equity from the start. Build these questions into green roof strategies, subsidies, projects and research calls, before roofs are built. Make costs transparent. Manufacturers, installers and researchers alike can share life-cycle cost data, from installation and maintenance to lifespan and savings, in a consistent and anonymised format, so support schemes can reach beyond those who can already afford a green roof. Neighbouring fields already study performance and people together. The green roof community can too! Read the full paper here: 10.1016/j.cacint.2026.100476 (open access)

WGIN Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme – Call for National Associations Partners

In April 2026, WGIN launched the Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme. This initiative aims to establish an internationally recognised professional training programme focused on green roof design, installation practices, maintenance, and long-term performance. The online training is designed to deliver a set of universal quality best practices rooted in knowledge rather than technical skills. The programme’s intent is to accelerate the development of national and regional green roof markets by providing online training and accreditation.  The Global Green Roof Professional Development and Accreditation Programme is now looking for two national associations to design national training modules and examination questions based on the core curriculum developed under this project. The application process is open until 7 September. Selected national associations will be contacted by 21 September. For more information, see the call for interest. To apply for the call of interest, visit this link.