Inspired by the Astana 2017 Expo theme of ‘Future Energy’, the UK Pavilion theme is ‘We are Energy.’ It focuses on the power of the individual to regenerate energy and change the world. The UK Pavilion, designed by Asif Khan with music by Brian Eno, explores the origins of energy. Beginning with the birth of the universe, taking visitors on the journey of energy from the sun through to the earth’s landscape, its climate, human civilisation and UK innovation. An original music score unfolds in parallel with this journey. It takes visitors from a single tone at the entrance and exit, and builds to a continuous, richly layered composition, immersing people as they view the landscape. The UK Pavilion is multi-sensory experience involving film, technology, sound and computer generated animation delivered by an international creative team.

The UK has a strong tradition of participating at World Expos with a unique approach to the host city's theme statement. In Astana, we wanted to build a very direct emotional connection with the visitor. We also wanted to create an atmosphere of calm. “I hope that visitors to the UK Pavilion will experience a time of peace and reflection that in itself will have a big impact. I wanted to have a different take on the theme of energy, to remind ourselves that our lives are all about the sun, which dictates the tides, the wind, the moon, gravity. And from that point of our shared energy, past and future, to then zoom in on the individual achievements of the UK.” Asif Khan MBE Visitors to the UK Pavilion shows UK creativity at its best - a multi disciplinary approach including architecture, music, design, technology and engineering. We have surveyed visitors at random on exiting the UK Pavilion. Of the 5% of visitors surveyed to date, the most frequently used words to describe what they felt about the UK Pavilion are: Genius Unexpected Calm Imaginative Creative Extraordinary Wow Incredible Emotional Powerful The Best

Design - Asif Khan MBE Music - Brian Eno Client Team UK Commissioner: The Rt Hon Charles Hendry Project Director: Sara Everett OBE Client Creative Director: Christine Losecaat MBE Client Project Management: WNY Design Team Creative Agency: KBW Design Design Management: WOO Structural Engineer: AKT II Services Engineer: Atelier Ten Installation Interactive Engineering and Fabrication: iart Digital Landscape Art Direction: Xavier Chassaing Digital Landscape VFX: Martin Aufinger, Chris Bore Science advisor: Professor Catherine Heymans UK Timeline Animations: Factory Fifteen Contractor Nussli The UK Pavilion was designed and delivered by an international creative team led by an award winning architect and world renowned musician.

At the heart of the UK pavilion is a stunning 60 metre panorama depicting a living, universal landscape generated entirely by computer. It captures the relationship between the Sun, the Earth and its climate in incredible detail through virtual day and night. At a stunning 40,000 pixels wide it is the largest project of its kind ever undertaken. The panorama surrounds a striking centrepiece structure inspired by the architecture of yurts, representing the timeless connection between human civilisation and our environment. Its transparent spokes respond to human touch with illumination, which in turn influences the landscape around it, gently altering its weather in reaction to visitor activity. The visitor is then invited into a gallery space to discover innovations from the UK, showcased through an animated triptych of UK energy past, present and future against a backdrop of well-known landmarks and activity. The Triptych highlights UK innovations and discoveries that have changed the way we live our lives and connect with others, transforming communities (steam locomotion), people (electromagnetic radiation), the world (turbojet engine), us (DNA), and everything (world wide web), before inspiring them to imagine a new future, fuelled by the properties of the advanced material, Graphene, discovered by Nobel Prize winning UK scientists. Before exiting the visitor is welcomed into a special display on Graphene – the UK’s most recent global innovation. A wonder material that is the strongest, thinnest and most permeable material known to man, whose potential is limitless. This gallery also hosts a series of pop-up displays throughout the period of the Expo.