The Swiss government has broken ground on its country pavilion for the Dubai Expo 2020, it has been announced.

Known as ‘Belles Vues’, the project is being designed by the Zurich-based architects OOS, in collaboration with Bellprat Partner and Lorenz Eugster. The ground-breaking ceremony was held in the presence of an official delegation led by Markus Seiler, secretary general of Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project aims to make a bold architectural statement from the outside, a statement said. From the inside, it offers visitors an experience of going on a hike – a typically Swiss activity. As they pass through the pavilion, they not only experience the Swiss landscape, but also learn more about the country, its traditions and innovative culture.

In addition, the pavilion will host a number of temporary exhibitions that will turn the spotlight onto Swiss innovation and the  products and services of private-sector partners and the Swiss tourism sector to promote the country’s economic capacity and attractiveness as a tourist destination to the UAE – the country’s  foremost trading partner in the Middle East, the statement concluded.