Building the Dubai Metro
EXPO2020 Station
This series of photographs related to the "Building the Dubai Metro EXPO2020" is the second and final installment of this collection.
Unlike all other Dubai metro stations, the EXPO2020 Station was designed to be instantly recognizable as the Dubai World EXPO2020 Metro Station. As the final stop on the approximately 15km (about 9.32 mi) Route2020 Extension project, it provides passengers with direct connectivity from the existing Dubai Metro Red Line to the EXPO2020 site and EXPO Village.
The most notable external feature of the Metro station is a soaring golden canopy which initially was chosen to be as an abstract homage and nod to the 9th century inventor, astronomer, physician, chemist, engineer, Andalusian musician, and Arabic-language poet, Abbas ibn Firnas (عباس بن فرناس). He was reported to have experimented with flight and the canopy shape alludes to his efforts. Moreover, the wing like structure references Dubai's vision of flight whilst supporting the EXPO2020 themes of Connecting Minds, Connecting the future.
The metro station was decidedly positioned along the primary access and boulevard to the ‘Al Wasl’ (The Connection and old name for Dubai) the physical center and heart of the EXPO2020 site. The golden steel canopy was positioned to emphasis passenger movement whilst supplying a strong visible marker and orientation point to the overall site.
Internally, the station offers ample facilities to allow for the easy movement of passengers from the platform to the concourse areas. In addition to requisite elevators and lifts, this is the only station in Dubai that supplies ramps which connect the platform to the concourse level. The ramps and other vertical transportation elements allow for the comfortable flow of large volumes of passengers arriving simultaneously in the station. The strong architectural lines and elegant materials within the station reaffirm Dubai's commitment to a first-class passenger experience for both guests and residence.
It would also be remiss to not mention that this station achieved the highest achievable LEED v4 BD+C Gold certification along with the remaining 6 stations on the Route2020 Line. The Project was identified by the US Green Building council as the first and largest sustainable transit project worldwide and a showcase of leadership in transforming the building and transportation infrastructure industry in the UAE and the broader MEA region.
Congratulations to all teams both within the RTA (Roads & Transport Authority), Parsons-Systra Joint Venture (PSJV), AREP, EXPOLink Consortium and countless other design and labor teams who participated in the design, delivery and operations of the station.
From a personal perspective, I am confident that my team will always look fondly on our time on this notable project. We’ve made history and our work on the project will forever be our collective legacy.
