Dubai: With Expo 2020 Dubai just a few months away from opening its doors to the public, a sneak peek into French Pavilion’s visitors’ journey was unveiled on Monday.
Jean-Yves le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs; Erik Linquier, Commissioner General for France at the Dubai World Expo and chairman of Cofrex (Compagnie Française des Expositions); and Justine Weulersse, Content and Programming Director and Exhibition Commissioner General, gave a virtual tour of the permanent and transient exhibitions at the France Pavilion.
They said “the ambition of the France Pavilion is to unleash its visitors’ inspiration to bring out ideas, desires, and emotions as well as to generate involvement and to embody innovations. The visitor experience revolves around light, manifested in both the pavilion’s architecture and in its exhibitions. (This will) also be the opportunity to highlight French innovations, and to showcase our companies internationally.”
Sun, 18 Apr 2021 08:59 UTC
A mass vaccination centre at the Palais des Expositions in Nice was forced to close yesterday after just 58 people turned up for 4,000 available jabs
French teachers in the city of Nice have overwhelmingly rejected AstraZeneca s Covid jab after just 58 out of a possible 3,000 signed up to be vaccinated.
The jabs were being offered at a mass vaccination centre in Nice s Palais des Expositions this weekend, with 4,000 available to those aged over 55 in high-risk occupations, meaning 3,000 teachers eligible to take part.
But the centre was forced to close after just four hours on Saturday due to lack of demand with just 58 appointments registered, and did not reopen today despite being scheduled to do so.
French flânerie
One of the highlights of the French Pavilion is its esplanade promenade which was designed as a flânerie (lounge) and relaxation space for visitors, adorned with endemic trees.
The groundbreaking of the pavilion was done in May last year in the presence of Elisabeth Borne, former French Minister of Transports. The architects were Jean-Luc Perez and Bernard Mauplot (Atelier du Prado Architectes) and Jacob Celnikier and Pascal Grabli (Celnikier & Grabli Architectes).
Also in attendance at the inauguration on Thursday were Amélia Lakrafi, Member of Parliament (French National Assembly) and President of the France-Emirates Friendship Group at the French National Assembly; Xavier Chatel, French Ambassador to the UAE, and French Consul General Raja Rabia.