Previous expos

The very first World Expo took place in London in 1851. The World Expo is known as "The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations". The Expo took place while the Industrial Revolution was in full swing.

There were 25 participating countries present at Expo 1851. Prince Albert and Sir Henry Cole have been called the masterminds behind the entire organisation. Prince Albert, prince consort, was married to Queen Victoria.

The first World Expo could be visited at Crystal Palace, located in Hyde Park. Belgium was also present there and was given its own section for the expo.

There were several statues in the Belgian section. One of those statues was of Godfrey de Bouillon made by Eugène Simonis. That statue can be found today at Place Royale in Brussels. The statue 'Le Lion Amoreux' by G. Geefs could also be found in the Belgian section.

Belgium exhibited its expertise in textiles at Expo 1851. For instance, several royal factories producing carpets, cloths and fabrics were represented at the expo. The textile industry in Belgium was booming at that time. Belgium was known not only for its beautiful designs, but also for the innovative techniques and materials used in the country.

It was also possible to learn about the manufacture of lace in the Belgian section at Crystal Palace. Belgium has a centuries-old reputation when it comes to producing that kind of fabric.

Expo 1905 Liege took place at the same time as the 75th anniversary of Belgium's independence.

The expo placed a focus on the achievements of Belgian scientists, doctors and engineers. The expo site was located in the Vennes area of Liège. New bridges and streets were built there for the expo. One example is the Fragnée bridge, which still offers a crossing over the Meuse today.

Palais des beaux-arts was also built for the expo at Parc de la Boverie. That building still serves as a museum in the city of Liège.

Quite a few houses were also built in 'Walloon style' for the expo. Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert de Liège cathedral was also recreated on the expo grounds, alongside 80 pavilions. Before then, it was one of the largest world exhibitions already organised. Only in France and the United States had organisers tackled such a grand scale before.

A remarkable thing about this expo: much effort was made to attract international visitors. The expo attracted a lot of attention from France, but Expo 1905 also welcomed quite a few foreign dignitaries, who even travelled to Liège from Russia, Persia and Japan.

Expo 1913 Ghent took place in Sint-Pieters-Aalst in Ghent. Today it is home to the Citadel Park and the Millionaires' Quarter, among other things.

Ghent already organised a provincial exhibition in 1899. That exhibition was such a great success that the city of Ghent decided to apply for the world exhibition in 1913.

The exposition covered a larger area than any other world exhibition already held in Belgium. The number of participants included the largest European nations, the United States, Canada, Argentina and Persia, who all participated with their own pavilions. Other countries were accommodated in the International Hall. In terms of participant numbers, the expo was also an immense success.

Expo 1913 Ghent created an opportunity for the city of Ghent to renovate the city centre and especially the Graslei. Ghent-Sint-Pieters station was also built for the expo.

The 'Old Flanders' section was one of the most visited sections of the whole expo. In that section, the difference between the past and the present was shown very clearly.

Expo 1913 Ghent was the last major expo in Europe before the outbreak of the First World War. Unfortunately, a lot of structures built for the expo were destroyed during the war.

The very first World Expo overseen by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was organised in Brussels between 27 April and 3 November 1935. The expo was themed "Transport" and celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first railway line in continental Europe, that between Brussels and Mechelen.

It was agreed that both Antwerp and Liège could host centenary events, while Brussels would effectively host. In a context of economic crisis, the project created optimism and jobs.

The Jubilee Stadium (now known as the King Baudouin Stadium), which opened on 23 August 1930, was the first structure to be built in the new area, known as the Heysel Plateau.

The exhibition palaces and especially the Halle Centrale were the most recognisable symbols of the Expo, showcasing the latest techniques in design and construction. The Halle Centrale was dedicated to Transport, the theme of the Expo, with four statues on its facade that paid homage to sailing, horse transport, steam power and aviation.

In difficult economic times, the development of the Heysel plateau and its infrastructure was a bold project that created jobs and provided an important new exhibition complex. Expo 1935 played an important role in the urban expansion of Brussels and paved the way for the development of Laeken and what would later become the site of the 1958 World Expo.

"Belgium wanted to offer a concerned world a place to get its bearings."

The expo site was located in Queens, where the landfill used to be. Thanks to the expo, the land could be made usable for other purposes. In a social context of economic crisis, Expo 1939 was organised in New York, following the success of Expo 1933 Chicago, hoping to erase the bad memories of the economic crisis.

The expo praised a world of capitalism, consumerism and democracy, but the outbreak of World War II still left its mark on the world expo. The conflict was given a prominent place at the expo. The public was informed about the developments in Europe. The public saw Expo 1939 New York as a great success, more than 45 million people descended on the expo. However, that was not enough to recoup costs.

The expo took place on the 150th anniversary of George Washington's government and the new constitution, but its main focus was on the future with the theme 'The World of Tomorrow'. The positive impact of technologies became the focus of the expo.

On 16 November 1936, President Roosevelt invited countries from around the world to participate in the event; 58 countries responded affirmatively, including Belgium. The Belgian pavilion at Expo 1939 is known as Bells for Peace or the Belgian Friendship Pavilion. The building was designed by architect Henry Van de Velde. The pavilion has been repurposed by Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. The building is still used by the school for basketball games.

Belgian pavilion was all about honouring the past and ensuring the future.

A remarkable thing about this expo: the corporate pavilions were placed more prominently than the national pavilions. This was because the organisers believed that capitalism was more conducive than nationalism.

Expo 1949 Port-au-Prince was given the theme 'The Festival of Peace'. The expo provided an opportunity for the Haitian government, led by Dumarsais Estimé, to draw international attention to Haiti and develop the tourism sector.

The expo celebrated the 200th anniversary of the founding of Port-au-Prince. It was an opportunity to modernise the city and redevelop the area around Gonave Bay. Therefore, the Haitian government ran major communication campaigns in the United States and Latin America, hoping to generate a lot of interest in the World Expo.

The expo eventually welcomed 250,000 visitors. A lot of new hotels were built to accommodate tourists. In addition, the city also underwent a 'big clean-up' and improved sanitation.

The various pavilions of the post office, tourist office, luminous fountain and green theatre were converted into official government buildings surrounded by palm trees and modern buildings, including the central park and botanical garden. The Belgian pavilion was one such pavilion.

The Seattle expo was organised under the banner of 'Man in the space Age'. Expo 1962 Seattle was intended to highlight contributions to science, as well as to emphasise the 'American Way of Life'. The United States thus wanted to soften the shock of the Soviets' successful space programme.

There were five main areas: the World of Science; the World of the 21st Century; the World of Commerce and Industry; and the World of Entertainment. Yet space was at the heart of the Century 21 Expo. As such, the grounds were dominated by a symbol of space travel: John Graham's Space Needle.

Architectural innovation was not limited to the Needle. Paul Thiry designed the futuristic Coliseum. That structure is now known as the Key Arena. That was built for the Washington State Pavilion. Minoru Yamasaki, on the other hand, combined Japanese and Gothic aesthetics for the U.S. Science Pavilion, today's Pacific Science Centre. The national pavilions were joined by numerous US corporate pavilions,

Many impressive displays showed how experts thought humans would live, work, play and travel in the 21st century. Art was also very present at the expo with 72 masterpieces by artists such as Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Klee, Braque and Picasso.

Among 44 participating countries, Belgium excelled at Century 21: Walter Cleyman introduced Belgian waffles to America on 21 April 1962 and it was a grandiose success. To this day, Belgian waffles are considered the surprise hit of the expo. Over a six-month period, Cleyman sold half a million waffles.

Expo 1970 Osaka was the first World Expo in Japan and Asia. The theme of the expo was 'Progress and Harmony for Mankind'. A record was broken with 77 participating countries and more than 64 million visitors. Those figures were not exceeded until Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The expo took place in the context of the Cold War and the aftermath of World War II. Japan was experiencing great economic development at the time. The aim of the expo was to promote peace and create common ground through the global advancement of technological civilisation. At the same time, Japan also wanted to use the expo to address contemporary problems, such as environmental degradation and poverty.

The Belgian pavilion was one of the 'East Zone pavilions'. The theme in our pavilion was 'You and Us'. The pavilion painted a picture of a simple and humane Belgium striving for a better human condition in brotherhood and peace.

The pavilion was a harmonious blend of traditional Belgian and Japanese architectural features. The pavilion's garden presented the national territory. Furthermore, the pavilion was divided into the sections 'Present' (where Belgians could be seen at work), 'Past' (with a succession of paintings, tapestries, jewellery and other ancient specialities) and 'Future' (with a focus on technological evolution).

The Belgian vision was underlined in the pavilion: humanism will control mechanisation. Gastronomy could not be missing from the pavilion, of course.

Expo 2000 Hannover, Germany's first World Expo, took place in Hannover between 1 June and 31 October 2000 and attracted 18 million visitors. The expo was organised under the theme 'Humankind - Nature - Technology' and embodied the goals and principles of the Agenda 21 action plan as adopted by the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Germany - which had only just been reunited - called on countries from around the world to present their vision of a future society and propose models of governance and policies aimed at a better balance between people, nature and technology.

For both the organiser and the participants, it was essential that the development of the site complied with strict sustainable development guidelines set out in the Hanover Principals.

The Belgian pavilion was known as the Peppermint Pavilion. Today, the building in Expo Park Hannover is used as an event venue and the headquarters of the Peppermint Jam record label and Peppermint Park sound studio. The owner is music producer Mousse T.

The pavilion, designed by Groep Planning CV, contained several presentation rooms in which the different Belgian regions presented themselves. The restaurant still exists today.

Following the success of the 1992 Seville World Expo, the Spanish city of Zaragoza embarked on a project to organise a Specialised Expo as a way to boost investment and promote development, particularly along the banks of the Ebro River.

In view of the pressing issue of water resources management and the city's own experience at the confluence of two major river systems, "Water & Sustainable Development" was chosen as the theme of Expo 2008, which coincided with the bicentenary of the First Siege of Zaragoza.

The Belgian pavilion followed the concept of installation and trail. It was based on the natural cycle of water in Belgium and this so specific landscape between heaven and earth, where horizons mix.

Expo 2012 Yeosu was dedicated to the theme "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities". It addressed the role of the ocean and coast as a source of life and regulator of the ecosystem.

Together, oceans and coasts form a network that dominates the global environment and whose unique impact on the health of the planet attests to the common destiny of all people and nations around the world. But today, these two key ecosystem players are increasingly at risk: continued coastal development, overexploitation of marine resources and pollution have put enormous pressure on the fragile balance that determines their well-being.

In the Belgian pavilion, visitors were taken to a small carnival, an annual fair on the Belgian coast. Walking past carousels, one was immersed in a rich cultural history, but of course there was also a prominent place for diamonds and chocolate.

It showed a fantastic panorama of the Belgian coast: dunes and swaying grass, beautiful sandy beaches and the tempestuous North Sea visible.

The pavilion was divided into three sections: a first section where the relationship between Belgium and the ocean was outlined; the souvenir shop; and a gourmet restaurant.

In 2015, the World Expo descended on Milan, Italy under the banner 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life'. The Expo addressed one of the biggest challenges of the modern era, raising questions about food production, healthy nutrition, population growth, waste avoidance and the efficient use of natural resources.

The main theme was eventually divided into seven sub-themes: science for food safety, security and quality; innovation in the agro-food supply chain; technology for agriculture and biodiversity; dietary education; solidarity and cooperation on food; food for better lifestyles; en food in the world’s cultures and ethnic groups

Through the design and content of their pavilion, 139 international participants highlighted the Expo's sustainable food theme in various ways. Belgium was one of them. The Belgian pavilion was awarded for design, sustainable construction and alternative food production methods. The pavilion, designed by Namur-based architect Patrick Genard, is based on an innovative urban planning concept that promotes biodiversity, in the city centre.

The Belgian pavilion received a Special Award in the "Design and Materials of the building" Category, in particular for its renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic solar panels, wind turbine, heat pumps and sewage treatment. It was also awarded for "Other Special Initiatives" with the city's alternative food production methods of the future: Hydroponics, Acquaponics and insects.

The eco-sustainable features focus on three key aspects of the building's operation: firstly, limited energy consumption, secondly, water management and finally, the use of natural, recyclable materials. An opportunity to boost Belgium's know-how in quality construction, design and technological innovation.

The concept in the pavilion highlights Belgium's environmental sustainability, technological innovation and national identity. The aim is to reflect Expo 2015 Milan's theme at every level: from the architecture to the details of the scenography and food offerings, to provide an integrated and coherent response to the major themes being explored.

As the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed visitors from all corners of the world to participate in creating a new world. Expo 2020 Dubai offered visitors a visually striking, emotionally inspiring 182 days as more than 200 participants - including nations, multilateral organisations, companies and educational institutions - created the largest and most diverse World Expo ever.

The exhibition was open from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition took place later than planned. Normally, the exhibition would have taken place from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021.

On 27 November 2013, Dubai was chosen as the host city by the Bureau International des Expositions. The theme of the World Expo was "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". Dubai welcomed some 24 million visitors over a six-month period. 192 countries and 10 international organisations were represented at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Belgium was one of those 192 countries. Expo 2020 Dubai was divided into three sub-themes: sustainability, opportunity and mobility. The Belgian pavilion was built in the Mobility district. The pavilion was designed by Assar Architects & Vincent Callebout Architectures and was built by BESIX Group.

The Belgian pavilion was themed Smart and Green Belgium 2050.

The scenography was divided into four highlights: first, the futuristic escalator drove visitors to the odyssey of 2050. Second, there was the "Future Mobilty Lab", again accompanied by the Belgian comic book heroes, where the three regions (Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia) showed the means they are implementing to move towards soft and low-carbon mobility at national level. Third was the "Main Show" an immersive video projection experience showing a sustainable and resilient skyline of Belgium for 2050. And finally, the "Belgium Mobility Hub" invited everyone, young and old, to project themselves into the Belgian cities and ecological architectures of tomorrow via an unprecedented dynamic capture.

At the end of the exhibition, visitors could taste Belgian specialities at the gourmet restaurant 'BeHappy'.

Symbolically, this slender bridge building represents the dynamism and multiple individuality of federal Belgium and its Regions. Belgium is stronger when it is united! It is a dynamic monolith dedicated to renewable energy, covered with a large photovoltaic and solar thermal canopy, which produces electricity and domestic hot water for the pavilion's own consumption.

"The Green Arch" perfectly expresses the concept of "Belgitude", that typically Belgian disposition to unite, in the heart of Europe, the highly creative Latin romantic spirit with the pragmatic ingenuity of Germanic and Anglo-Saxons.

The Floriade Expo 2022 organisers gave the following message about the Belgian garden:

The Belgian garden is full of edible flowers and plants. The Belgium pavilion is small, but big in design, with geometric, playful and contemporary design and extremely sustainable. All the materials are fully reusable or biodegradable. “Without human intervention, the pavilion could decompose naturally. For example cross-laminated timber was used that is fully recyclable, the walls and tiles of the courtyard were made of compressed, non-baked stones from earth combined with bioplastic based on algae starch.”

So for Belgium, Floriade 2022 Almere was a huge success. Unfortunately, however, it looks like it will be the very last Floriade ever. The organisers were expecting some 2 million visitors, but in the end only got to welcome some 600,000...