The Expo 2020 Pavilions Premiere has launched and will offer visitors an opportunity to be among the first to experience Terra – the Sustainability Pavilion.

The location will open to the public from January 22nd until April 10th.

The Pavilions Premiere is a limited-time opportunity for visitors to preview the thematic pavilions and will provide a glimpse of what is to come when Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes the world from October 1st.

Alif – the Mobility Pavilion and Mission Possible – the Opportunity Pavilion will follow later in the first quarter of 2021.

Pavilions Premiere bookings can be made here, with each visit costing AED 25.

Visitors are urged to book early as the experience will operate five days per week with limited operating hours and capacity restrictions due to enhanced health and safety measures.

Reem Al Hashimy, director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We are delighted to start 2021 on such a positive note as we welcome the UAE community to be the first to experience Terra – the Sustainability Pavilion at a moment in our history that is unparalleled in terms of its impact on humanity.

“This period of rapid, unprecedented change has brought with it a pressing need to rethink the way we exist, and is further accelerated by a global health crisis that has touched each and every individual on Earth.

“While 2020 may be remembered as a year that changed us forever, it has also given us a tremendous opportunity to come together as a global society and find answers to our most pressing challenges.”

A playful, exploratory experience, Terra will remain in legacy as a Science Centre that will inspire sustainable choices for generations to come.

Marjan Faraidooni, chief executive of Expo 2020 Dubai, added: “Expo 2020 aims to be one of the most sustainable World Expos in history and supports efforts as a champion of green development, so it is fitting that our first visitors will enjoy a preview of the Sustainability Pavilion – an interactive and personal experience that will highlight the urgency of addressing some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

“Showcasing the opportunities that unite us and how we can work together to create positive change, Expo 2020 will empower visitors of all nationalities, ages and interests to make more sustainable choices in their own lives.”

The pavilion, designed by the world-renowned Grimshaw Architects, sets an example for sustainable building design.

Built to be net-zero for both energy and water, it features 1,055 photovoltaic panels arranged on a 130-metre-wide roof canopy and atop a series of ‘energy trees’.

The pavilion also uses cutting-edge water-reduction strategies, water recycling and alternative water sources.