Ralph Applebaum Associates

Zaragoze Expo 2008 was an international exposition dedicated to the theme of “Water and Sustainable Development.” The event was a watershed moment for the capital of Aragon, transforming the city’s riverbank and reinforcing its status as a global center on water management.

Overlooking the Ebro River, a 900-foot-long covered “bridge pavilion” designed by Zaha Hadid and five architectural structures designed by RAA taught visitors about the importance of water and its governance as a resource. They also discovered the extent of the current water crisis—global shortages, lack of access, and the need to purify it.

Outdoor architectural installations housed audio programs and water shows, environmental graphics, and poetic and meditative experiences. The causes, effects, and extent of the water crisis were presented on a synchronized, 130-foot-long media wall with floor interactives, large-scale graphics, LED installations, solutions-based audio-visual installations, twenty-four synchronized plasma screens, and graphic components.

Water as a universal right was represented through a semi-outdoor interactive installation hung from the bridge’s structure and a 100-foot-long water wall. Here, visitors signed a petition to make access to clean water a human right.

A comprehensive identity, including a logo, website, catalogue, and press kit, supported Water: A Unique Resource. The 3.5 million visitors who came through the bridge pavilion—at a rate of 10,000 per hour—played a large part in the Expo’s overall impact.