Expo 2020 is a universal exposition that will be hosted by Dubai, UAE, opening on October 20, 2020. The expo’s theme is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” and will last for six months. It is this theme that inspired the Austrian office for architectural company, Penda, and their collaborative partner, Smartvoll, for their proposed pavilion.
The overall mill structure is constructed of a series of mills that circulate water consistently, taking clean Austrian rainwater and letting it wash down throughout the structure. The water will not be solely in the form of pouring rain, but will also come in dripping droplets, vapours and a light shower. 
As they enter, visitors will receive an umbrella in one of the Australian colours (red or white), which they can use to protect themselves from the water or simply throw around in favour of re-enacting the famous musical. Once they’ve had their fill of rain, visitors can descend to the lower level where they can dry off, drink some fresh Austrian water and mingle.
The pavilion has a completely unique structure; open on both sides to allow wind to filter through, the top is covered by shades to protect from the Dubai sun. “In my opinion, a pavilion at the expo shouldn’t be a box that solely showcases products and companies,” said Philip Buxbaum, partner of Smartvoll. “At its best, a pavilion offers a surprise, a fun time with a message and an adventurous exploration. By creating a lasting impression, it will connect the visitors personally to the values of a country and its culture.” 
While the job of a building is usually to protect from all sides, the collaborative team didn’t want to create a typical pavilion. “Once we started the process, we didn’t want to create an indoor space and fill it with air-conditioning to make it visitable,” said Chris Precht from Penda. “That’s not a sense of sustainability the expo should stand for. We also didn’t want to close up the pavilion because it could rain one time per month, so we emphasised on the topic. Our building leaks, drops, vapours, steams and rains.”
The team have referred to the pavilion project as “one large sprinkler” that refreshes visitors from the cloying Dubai heat. The project has been selected as a finalist in the international competition for the Austrian pavilion at the Expo. 