Service Station of the Future

ETFE Meets Carbon Fibre Structure
The Service Station of the Future shows how innovative architecture combines sustainability with user-focused design. Enoc Group, the official Integrated Energy Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, opened the station in early 2021 as a pioneering model for next-generation mobility infrastructure.

At the heart of this innovation, a lightweight carbon fibre canopy supports the Texlon® ETFE cushions, creating the world’s first combination of ETFE and carbon fibre. Moreover, this collaboration required exceptional precision and creativity from both engineers and designers. As a result, the structure delivers remarkable lightness, durability, and visual clarity, while significantly lowering material use and environmental impact.

In addition, the team developed a meticulous design approach and tested each element to ensure reliability under Dubai’s extreme climate. Ultimately, the Service Station of the Future sets a new benchmark for sustainable, high-tech architecture and demonstrates how advanced materials can redefine the future of construction.
Illumination with White Pigmented ETFE Foil
Over 3,800 LED modules light up the Texlon® ETFE canopy in multiple colours. Moreover, the dynamic lighting design shows how ETFE adds atmosphere and identity to architecture. In addition, the material’s flexibility allows creative illumination with minimal structure.

As a result, ETFE works both as a construction element and a lighting medium. In the evening, the white-pigmented foil enhances the LED colours, creating a striking, glowing landmark. Ultimately, the canopy proves how light and material can shape a building’s character.
Unique Shape
The whole station’s design is shaped to resemble the exoskeleton of the UAE’s national tree, Ghaf. Eight trunks support the station’s canopy and are built from 22,500 m² of carbon fibre. A ninth trunk supports the electric charging station’s canopy, which stands apart from the main canopy. 140 two-layer ETFE cushions form these incredible canopies. With forward-thinking solutions, the Service Station of the Future architecture serves as a benchmark for projects worldwide.

LEED Platinum Certification
The Service Station of the Future at Expo 2020 in Dubai is the world’s first LEED platinum-certified service station. Several sustainability efforts contribute to this achievement. ETFE is one of them – making the world more sustainable. For example, the Texlon® ETFE technology has extremely low energy consumption during manufacturing, and the foil can be fully recycled. With an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), the Texlon® ETFE system supports the most important project phase: design. We could already support the client in the early design phase and bring our system knowledge in. The Service Station of the Future architecture sets new standards in efficiency and environmentally friendly construction.