VIA.ZZO official participant at ExpoDubai2020
Terrazzo flooring brand
What is World Expos
The World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time. They offer a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities. World Expos welcome tens of millions of visitors and allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions.
The first World Expo, known as the Great Exhibition, took place in London in 1851. Since then, the concept has become popular and has been repeated across the globe, leaving world-class legacies.
The most recent World Expo took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022.
The next World Expo will be held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, between 13 April and 13 October 2025, under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.
About ExpoDubai2020
The Expo is described by the organizers as a “festival of human ingenuity” that acknowledges the significance of collaboration and partnership in driving today’s growth.
The Expo’s theme also emphasizes the need for cross-cultural, cross-national, and cross-regional collaboration to develop sustainable solutions to global issues.
The World Expo, themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, saw participation from over 190 countries, facilitating a global exchange of culture and innovation. Each participating country had the opportunity to present their contributions to important global debates at their own pavilions.
The Expo 2020 was organized around three sub-themes:
- Opportunity District: Showcasing individuals worldwide who are turning dreams and aspirations into realities, empowering visitors to shape the future by unlocking their own potential.
- Mobility District: Creating connections to drive global progress, bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds to build a harmonious, global society where information, ideas, and goods are exchanged rapidly.
- Sustainability District: Exhibiting the world’s most advanced technology and highlighting countries’ efforts to promote sustainability, showing visitors how humans can live in harmony with nature in a high-tech future.
About VIA.ZZO at the Expo and sustainability
As part of the Romanian Pavilion and Sustainability District at ExpoDubai2020, VIA.ZZO was chosen to represent Romania at this major global event.
The main concept of the Romanian Pavilion was the theme “NEW NATURE,” highlighting the healthy relationship between nature and human progress in the fields of science, technology, education, culture, and arts. This theme was meant to showcase the symbiosis of all these elements for a sustainable future.
VIA.ZZO is an environmentally friendly terrazzo flooring system considered a sustainable choice thanks to modern technology.
Terrazzo installation involves natural aggregates, recycled glass or plastic, and processed cement or epoxy binders. The binders make up approximately 25%-30% of the volume of terrazzo floors, while the rest consists of aggregates, fillers, and pigments. Initial life cycle assessments of embodied energy have indicated that terrazzo is environmentally friendly due to its endurance and low energy usage for cleaning.
Both cement-based and thin-set epoxy terrazzo systems consist of zero VOC building materials and are applied on-site, reducing post-commercial waste and transportation costs. Today, terrazzo flooring remains popular due to its durability and low maintenance, often lasting the lifetime of buildings. These qualities, coupled with advancements in terrazzo production, make it a sustainable flooring choice.
Visitors to Romania’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai had the opportunity to learn about the art of creating through highly interactive workshops. Artists, craftsmen, professionals, and anyone interested in harmony with nature and high-tech technology were invited to explore the fascinating world of Romanian creation.
Tradition Reloaded Zone
These workshops were held in the Tradition Reloaded Zone and helped Romanian craftworkers to share their knowledge with others.
Due to the layout of the pavilion, technical constraints, and the high number of visitors, it was not safe to demonstrate the application of the terrazzo system.
Instead, we came up with the idea of the VIA.ZZO workshop as a lighter alternative.
Terrazzo, being derived from mosaic and consisting of 70-80% marble, inspired the organization of tables, each representing a part of a drawing with popular Romanian motifs.
Visitors were asked to arrange marble pebbles on each table to match a model so that when completed, the tablets would form a larger image of a carpet with Romanian motifs.
This workshop was designed to allow both young and old visitors to the Romanian Pavilion to interact and enjoy the experience.
Romania’s participation at Expo Dubai and also VIA.ZZO aimed to create a vibrant and dynamic hub that emphasizes the delicate balance between nature and technology. This represents a crucial turning point in the development of human society, as we must identify and choose the most sustainable development solutions for the future.
Our commitment to sustainable practices extends beyond the products we offer. Our manufacturing processes are designed to minimize waste and reduce our carbon footprint. We use advanced equipment and techniques to ensure that our products are produced with the highest levels of precision and quality while still adhering to eco-friendly standards.
Please see the article about Green Terrazzo – Sustainability and Leed to learn how terrazzo can contribute to sustainability.