Designing a Legacy

Since the first Great Exhibition in 1851, World Expos have functioned as showcases of modernity and expressions of national ambition. Most often, they’re remembered for their iconographic architectural gestures—the Crystal Palace, Eiffel Tower, Habitat 67—and for the debut of those feats of engineering that have changed and shaped our world. Yet their legacy remains complicated: while they’ve driven design innovation and new modes of thinking, many have left cities with fragmented infrastructure preserved out of historical obligation rather than contemporary need.

Expo 2030 in Saudi Arabia positions itself as a corrective to such patterns of waste and ephemerality by proposing a lasting urban framework. “World Expos have always been about breakthroughs,” says Chris Bosse, Partner at LAVA. “This project will inspire necessary conversations about urbanism, pushing us all to design more sustainable, livable cities.” In this context, LAVA has developed a master plan that recasts the pageant of novelty as a generator of place.

Situated at the edge of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing capital, Riyadh, the Expo will span six square kilometers and will combine the needs of a six-month event with the long-term logic of a permanent district. The master plan reflects Saudi Arabia’s ambitious future vision and directly engages with the Expo’s theme: Era of Change. “Designing a master plan that meets such diverse spatial and temporal needs requires a radical shift in thinking,” Bosse notes. “But the potential is immense. Once completed, it will set a new benchmark for cities, creating a legacy that is environmental, social, and cultural.”

LAVA’s rethinking of urbanism begins with a master plan that abandons the rectilinear grids that have dominated Western car-based societies for the past century, replacing them with an organic network shaped by the contours of Wadi Al Sulai. From a central plaza, a system of cool routes—formed by the wadis—extends outward, defining the radial structure that organises the village layout. “We mapped the topography and hydrology of the area to identify the water routes,” explains Bosse. “From there, we used parametric modeling to develop a cellular grid that reestablishes the original landscape while enabling its expansion into a larger network of parks and green corridors.”

This emphasis on nature is a direct response to the region’s environmental challenges. To reinforce the ecological function of the wadi system, the master plan incorporates soil stabilisation and nature-based water management, and the planting of trees. Once regenerated, these corridors will support natural drainage and irrigation, protecting the precinct against flooding while creating pleasant microclimates within the desert environment. The design recalls ancient settlements that flourished by oases and on the edges of rivers—offering a futuristic take that harmonises urban growth with nature’s rhythms.

“We wanted to create an ecosystem rather than a series of buildings,” continues Bosse. “We approached this by exploring the relationship between nature, technology, and human needs. Many envision a future in which we live in harmony with nature while enjoying seamless access to advanced infrastructure and technology—a place that offers the community and amenities of a larger city, but with more space. Our vision is rooted in coexistence, where these elements are not opposing forces, but complementary ones that together enhance quality of life.”

Much like the Concentric Ripple City and the Conscious City—urban master plans shaped around organic, circulatory systems—the Expo master plan rejects outdated anthropocenic models in favour of symbiotic design. In these projects, the city is not imposed on nature, but instead emerges from it.

The site is focused around five major districts, which emerge like petals from a large Central Plaza. Three are dedicated to the Expo themes: Transformational Technology, Sustainable Solutions, and Prosperous People. One district represents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the final district, Global Collaboration, is for large gatherings and events. Each district will function as a unique village, with its own range of amenities and a distinct material and architectural language based on fractal geometry—patterns that repeat at different scales, where each part mirrors the structure of the whole. These self-similar patterns bring both coherence and variety to the master plan, creating a layout that feels organic yet ordered.

This framework will host a diverse range of international participants in pavilions interwoven with indoor and outdoor venues. Food, retail, and social offerings are embedded throughout the cellular network: cafes, bars, and restaurants—from grab-and-go to fine dining—sit alongside a range of different retail spaces. This cultural cosmos will transform the desert into a functional urban ecosystem that will define the global village when the event concludes.

All areas are connected by a mobility system that reorganizes spatial priorities around environmental and social factors, prioritising pedestrians and aligning with the natural landscape to enhance rather than disrupt the wadi environment. The framework employs a concentric layout in which each zone is connected by distinct, purpose-driven pathways that range from large landscaped promenades to charming alleyways reminiscent of those found in souks. At the heart of the system is the World Avenue Loop, a pedestrian and soft-mobility boulevard that connects the five main districts and serves as the primary circulation axis for those visiting the Expo. Elevated paths and shaded corridors offer direct access to key destinations, ensuring the site remains comfortably walkable even in peak heat.

Crucially, the Expo is designed not as an isolated enclave but as part of the wider urban fabric. It connects to Riyadh’s metro network, with direct links to King Salman International Airport, and is easily accessible via major arterial roads. At a metropolitan scale, the plan supports the Green Riyadh Project and the city’s expansion of walking and cycling infrastructure. When the Expo winds to a close in 2031, the site will not be dismantled but will enter a new stage of becoming. Conceived from the outset as a new global village, the master plan allows for the site’s transformation from exhibition grounds to a residential and cultural neighbourhood. This shift in thinking redefines the Expo model, presenting a living framework that adapts to and grows with the evolving city around it.