Design Day - Expo 2020 Dubai

Roca champions the value of Mediterranean design on Design Day in the Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

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October 2021

Expo 2020 Dubai

Roca is one of the sponsors of the Spain Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, which is being held from October 1st 2021 to March 31st 2022 and has outfitted the 17 bathroom spaces of the Pavilion with an array of solutions defined by their Mediterranean design, user-friendliness and the integration of water and energy saving technologies. Likewise, as part of the “Made in Spain” Design Day, Roca organized “Mediterranean design: a strategic value for a global brand”, a series of discussions jointly held with Cosentino and Andreu World at the Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

 

The event organized by Roca included three roundtable meetings to discuss the importance of Mediterranean design and the Barcelona label when drawing international attention toward a brand such as Roca.

The three round tables were moderated by Isabel Roig, Executive Director of BcD - Barcelona Center of Design. Panelists included the First Deputy Mayor of the Barcelona City Council, Jaume Collboni; the Corporate Marketing Director of Roca Group, Marc Viardot; the Communications Director of Roca, Xavier Torras; the architect Borja Ferrater; the industrial designer Andreu Carulla; and the head of Elisava Design Research, Laura Clèries. The event was live-streamed to professionals from the disciplines of architecture, design and construction in the Middle East.

In his comments, Jaume Collboni stated that “the city’s strong commitment to design and creativity stems from a highly dynamic and creative ecosystem that promotes social welfare, while also building identity and adding value.” He also underscored the efforts of companies such as Roca, which put the city in an excellent position to “move toward the future with a more sustainable approach, in which design enhances the Barcelona brand and attracts talent, while also meeting the challenges we face as a society and in our relationship with the planet.”

Roca One Day Design Challenge: a fast-paced competition for young designers

The Spain Pavilion has also hosted the 5th edition of the Roca One Day Design Challenge in Dubai on Saturday, November 6th, in which more than 150 students and young professionals from the fields of design and architecture were given only a few hours to design a washbasin specifically for one function: brushing your teeth.

The first prize was awarded to the project entitled “The Stone-tech” by Waheed Addin Almasri and Rama Rayes, from Manipal University Dubai, a sustainable, single-unit solution made of stone and metal that combines a touch screen, soap dispenser and toothpaste dispenser. Details on the winning projects can be viewed at this link.

 

 

Reflection of the innovative capacity of Spain and its companies

Based on the theme “Intelligence for Life”, the Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai –under the direction of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the public company responsible for the presence of Spain at universal and international exhibitions–, showcases the innovative capacity of Spain and its business enterprises and furthers the common goal to preserve high quality of life on earth for present and future generations. The Pavilion was designed by the architectural studio Temperaturas Extremas and built using lightweight materials and prefabricated systems, all in keeping with the principles of circular economies.

The Spain Pavilion is located in the area dedicated to sustainability and includes an interactive exhibition called “The Forest of Intelligence”, highlighting relevant examples of how Spain is working on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with innovative projects for a sustainable future.