The Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi publishes a volume on the Italian contribution to the urban and industrial landscape of the United Arab Emirates.

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One section of the publication is dedicated to the work created by Duplomatic MS which sets in motion the opening and closing of the roof of the UAE pavilion at EXPO 2020, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava in the form of falcon wings, symbol of the host country.

The Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with SKIRA Editore (Milan, 2022), has published the book The Italian Legacy in the United Arab Emirates: The Urban and Industrial Landscape to which Duplomatic MS has contributed with the story of the engineering work that sets in motion the roof covering of the UAE pavilion at EXPO 2020.

The book, edited by Lucia Pizzinato, traces the contribution of Italian architecture and engineering in the development of the urban and industrial landscape of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 to today.

According to the Italian ambassador in Abu Dhabi, Lorenzo Fanara, "the volume is an effective testimony of how much Italy has contributed to the extraordinary industrial and architectural development of the United Arab Emirates. It is a combination that is based on the strong demand for Italian products, designs and projects present in the Emirates since their establishment.".

The volume was presented last November 11, during the Sharjah International Book Fair, in which Italy participated as guest honor country.

Much curiosity aroused the part dedicated to the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at EXPO 2020 which represents at the same time a work of art, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, and a complex hydraulic system, created by Duplomatic MS to open and close the roof of the pavilion itself. The roof of the building is, in fact, made up of 28 different wings in carbon fiber which can be opened and closed, inspired by the movement of a falcon in flight, symbol of the United Arab Emirates. The system is operated in combination with light effects that provide unique emotions to the audience watching the pavilion.

The heart moving the building is fully Italian. In 2018, Duplomatic has been awarded the responsibility for the design, manufacturing, installation, test and commissioning of the hydraulic system that allows to synchronously move all 28 wings together, providing to the guest observing the scene an experience of harmony and coordination.

This is indeed the main design intent of Architect Santiago Calatrava, who aims to generate a sense of perfection, reinforced by the very clean design of shapes and lines of the building, as well as the chromatic choice of all parts involved.

And this has been the first major difficulty when the project was taken over by Duplomatic. The aesthetical requirements, concepts like harmony and perfection, had to be translated into engineering requirements leading to very specific and measurable design choices. The above led to the choice of the most suitable motion technology able to perform progressive and silent movements, and which includes the selection of the main hydraulic parts, the operating system pressure, the design of the electronics and the related motion control algorithms.

The result is a complex machine that is fully merged with the building and consists of a large power unit installed in the basement of the pavilion having approximately 1 MW of power and five separate pumping systems, more than 2 kilometers of high-pressure pipes transporting up to 2,200 liters/minute of oil to the roof of the building, where 46 total hydraulic cylinders are responsible for the synchronous movement of all 28 wings. Control is achieved through 9 different computers that automatically drive more than 2,000 points spread across the whole building and which include valves of different types and sensors, all connected by more than 25 km of cables.

An exceptional job carried out by the team directed by Paolo Leutenegger, General Manager of Duplomatic MS.

To know more:

https://ambabudhabi.esteri.it/ambasciata_abudhabi/it/ambasciata/news/dall-ambasciata/2022/11/eau-l-ambasciata-ad-abu-dhabi-pubblica.html

https://duplomaticmotionsolutions.com/en/expo-2020-dubai.html

 

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