With three full-size, seaworthy boat hulls as its roof and a facade of nautical ropes made from recycled plastic, Italy's pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 embraces the concept of reusable design. Favored by an excellent placement within the Expo site — between the "Opportunity" and "Sustainability" thematic areas and with uninterrupted front and side views — the pavilion attracted a fifth of the overall visitors to the event in the opening weeks, making it one of the most successful.

"The biggest inspiration behind our design is the circular economy," said architect Italo Rota, referring to the idea of recycling, repairing and reusing waste materials, rather than simply disposing of them. Rota is one of the designers of the pavilion, and has worked extensively in Paris where he curated the lighting of both the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the banks of the Seine River.