When the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity planned their pavilion for the Dubai World Expo 2020, they wanted to stand out—not with another digital screen, but with something tangible, interactive, and engaging.
That’s where Pumapapel came in.
We engineered four large-scale pop-up books, each focusing on a different ecosystem: Forests, Wetlands, Marine environments, and ASEAN heritage sites.
Each A3-sized book book featured a foot-tall pop-up with pull tabs, wheels, and moving elements that made the landscapes come alive. We also integrated side booklets containing additional mini pop-ups and educational content.
The Creative Challenges
📌 Tight deadline: This project was completed in just two months from concept to final engineering.
📌 Durability: With thousands of guests interacting with these books, we had to design mechanisms that wouldn’t break easily. Self-activating animations eliminated fragile pull tabs.
📌 2D to 3D transformation: Instead of traditional illustration, we used photo collage, repurposing real images from ASEAN photographers to build layered, immersive pop-up scenes.
This project is one of my proudest achievements—not just because of its scale, but because it proved how paper engineering can compete with digital media in creating unforgettable experiences.
Want to explore how paper engineering can elevate your brand’s storytelling? Let’s talk.
#PaperEngineering #InteractiveStorytelling #EducationalDesign #WorldExpo #Pumapapel
Pumapapel Pop-Up Design Studio 
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