Hosting the largest social and economic event in the world is an undertaking of enormous responsibility.  Years of planning, coordinating venues, construction of buildings, landscaping, the list goes on and on.   Three years in the making at a cost of $605 million, the 2016 Expo Antalya was the largest social event on earth from April October 2016.  Expecting over 8 million visitors during the Expo and many millions more in years to come as a permanent tourist attraction, required the coordinated efforts of thousands of people from over 50 countries.  When compared to the Olympic Games or the World Cup, Expo is by far the most important in terms of its sheer scale and duration as an event. 

Situated on 277 acres in Antalya, Turkey, Expo 2016 was the first International Expo for Turkey.  Built around the title of Flowers and Children Expo 2016 Antalya adopted the theme Cultivating a Green Life for Future Generations, along with the motto A Green Life for Future Generations.   History, Bio-Diversity, Sustainability and Green Cities made up the four sub-themes of the Expo.

The Expo provided a unique opportunity for children to learn about and experience the environment around them, their natural resources and related ways of living, along with sustainable development and green initiatives.  The Expo also encouraged them to think about and generate solutions to the impact urban life has on them and to share those ideas with the world.

Highlights of the exhibition included Turkeys first agriculture and biodiversity museum, a greenhouse, Turkeys largest congress center, two amphitheaters, an artificial island and a science and technology center for children.  And dont forget about the gardens!  Together with Turkey, 53 countries put their national horticultural traditions on display for the world emphasizing international diversity.  Even though the Expo only lasted 6 months, its setting and gardens will live on for years to come.  These gardens will actually do more than stay; they will continue to grow and they will provide better common spaces for the people of Antalya.  The everlasting legacy of Expo will remain not only as a physical footprint but also in the vision and spirit of the citizens, Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General of the Bureau International Expositions, which oversees major world expositions added.

Within the gardens of the Expo, on 15 acres, the evolution and culture around the world was depicted with 103 plant sculptures fabricated by the Canadian firm Kadriform International.   In order for the sculptures to look as real as possible, depictions of humans, elephants, lions, zebras, rabbits, camels, mammoths, silk farming, the discovery of fire and Silk Road caravans were elaborately designed by a 25 person team.  Turkeys first live plant sculpture area was formed with themes such as the birth of civilization in Mesopotamia, silk worms, agriculture and domestication, rice and bamboo in Asia and the symbol of hope of the tree planting man.

Each sculpture was meticulously created to be as life-like as possible.  After installation at the Expo, all structures were to be covered in peat moss and black earth to support the thousands of plants giving each structure its unique color.  Understanding that hot dip galvanizing would give the structures an abrasion resistant, cathartic protective coating that would enable the structures to endure the weather, wear and tear, and wet/dry cycles for at least 70 years, designers specified that all sculptures were to be hot dip galvanized after fabrication.  Due to the varying sizes of the tridimensional metal puzzles and varying thicknesses of metal used, a close collaboration between the fabricator and galvanizer was crucial in order to create sections that would not be prone to distortion and offer a high quality coating.   After galvanizing, all sculptures were assembled to check for proper fit, then disassembled and packed into ocean going containers for shipment to the Expo.

Once erected at the Expo, gardeners worked for months covering the galvanized scuptures with their black earth, peat moss and unique plantings, creating a one of a kind, galvanized coated, living steel exhibit.   How appropriate that a sustainable, environmentally friendly coating that is hot dip galvanizing was used to protect a living steel exhibit that will continue to enlighten and entertain the world for years to come. 

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Antalya and tour the gardens, remember that while you and the other visitors admire the unique designs and beautiful plants, there is a hot dipped galvanized steel structure silently protecting the steel from corrosion.