It may be a year behind but it's still well ahead. The World Expo 2020 is starting in Dubai.
In pavilions and booths, 190 countries are showing the future of transport, urban living, sustainability and energy. Over 25 million people are estimated to come to the World Expo. Join us for a look at some of the most interesting pavilions.
The UK House in the shape of a superimposed wooden cone connects visitors, poetry and artificial intelligence. Anyone can leave a word which an algorithm will gradually build into a collaborative poem. The pavilion's creators took inspiration from physicist Stephan Hawking and one of his latest initiatives: a digital language with a message for alien civilizations.
The white cones of the Austrian pavilion function as energy storage tanks that can cool a building and save up to seventy percent of energy. The creators of the building whose slogan is "reduce, reuse and recycle" took inspiration from Arab wind towers.
The Czech pavilion shows how to use solar energy to turn air into water and turn a dry desert into a blooming garden. Its dominant feature is the S.A.W.E.R. system, which does exactly this "magic".
The Saudi pavilion boasts three world records. It has the largest interactive light floor in the world which reacts to the movement of people walking on it. It also has the world's largest LED screen and the longest interactive water feature.
The entrance to the Finnish pavilion which is called Snow Cape and promises a tranquil Nordic atmosphere, resembles a tent opening to the sky. Finland is presenting itself in Dubai as the first country in the world to have a comprehensive circular economy plan.
The endless Möbius strip inspired the designers of the Luxembourg pavilion which symbolises and embodies the circular economy in its design and construction. The building material was created from the melting down of 170 tonnes of recycled scrap and the building is to continue to be used after the Expo - it will be part of the futuristic smart city Dubai District 2020.
Singapore has brought the rainforest to the Dubai desert. Architects from Woha Studio and Salad Dressing show how the city, nature and modern technology can be combined. The wild green space creates a self-sustaining and diverse ecosystem to prove that cities can create environments where people and nature can thrive.
The Netherlands will present a miniature habitat. It uses water, generates its own energy and food. The vertical cone-shaped farm grows mushrooms that have a wide range of uses - from food to construction. The ecological footprint is to be kept as low as possible after the Expo - all building materials are to be either recycled or reused.
Belgium is also trying to present itself as an eco-innovator. Its waste-free Green Arch pavilion has a vertical garden with 10,000 plants that can hold up to 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen during the World Expo.
South Korea is showing off a building in Dubai with a changing façade with rotating cubes that change in different ways throughout the day. You can come here for so-called miracle walks that use augmented reality. The main theme is mobility and the future of transport.
China will present the largest pavilion. Up to two million people are expected to visit the impressive structure which resembles traditional Chinese lanterns and is lit up by a light show after dark.
Takhle má vypadat budoucnost. V Dubaji začalo Expo 2020 - forbes.cz