Expo 2010 pavilions
Encyclopedia
This article contains the details of the pavilions in Expo 2010
. The 2010 World Expo Shanghai is the largest Expo
site ever, covering more than 5.2 square kilometers and containing more than 70 exposition pavilions. More than 190 countries and 50 international organizations registered to participate in the 2010 Shanghai Expo. After the six month run, the Expo had attracted well over 70 million visitors. The Expo 2010 is also the most expensive fair in the history of World's Fair, with more than 45 billion US dollars invested from the Chinese Government
.
Three of the five theme pavilions were located in the Central Exhibition Building constructed by the Chinese host. Covering an area of 11.5 hectares, it is the largest exhibition structure in the history of World Expositions
. The building was located near the Expo Axis, in Zone B. The total exhibition space of this building was 80,000 m². A 7,000 m² multifunctional room in the building's centre had an atrium
onto which some of the individual pavilions opened. Construction was completed in September 2009 before interior construction began.
in Hanover
, won an international bidding contest against more than 150 competitors. Triad Berlin was responsible for construction management and the supervision of the artistic aspects of the pavilion.
With its total floor space of 12,000 m², the Urban Planet pavilion addressed the complex processes marking urbanization. According to its designers, the scenography
combined Western forms of artistic expression with ideas from the Chinese Feng shui
heritage. The exhibition was characterized by a dichotomous structure illustrating the two-faced character of the city as both a consumer of environment and as a place for innovation and technology in the service of an ecological renewal for the future.
The first part of the exhibition "Road of Crisis" is made of five chapters, each corresponding to the five elements in Wu Xing: Water − Fire − Metal − Wood − Earth. Itreflected the potential of destruction emanating from the cities, the threats facing the ecosystem, and the depletion of Earth's natural resources. The second part of the exhibition, "Road of Solution" offered possible approaches to the problems that were expressed.
The pavilion was one of the largest in this Expo 2010. The wide corridors and enormous size of the pavilion were to provide a visit with limited waiting times, compared to other pavilions.
have to address the urgent needs of the residents as "the prerequisite for the city's sustainable development."
Video clips in the exhibition illustrated the stories of six real families, from cities in six continents: Paris (Europe), São Paulo
(Latin America), Phoenix, Arizona
(North America), Lijiang, Yunnan (Asia), Melbourne (Oceania), and Ouagadougou
(Africa). The videos covered different issues – such as family, work, relationship, education, and health – of an average city dweller's life.
and Land Design Studio in London. The exhibition examined the growth of infrastructure
s of modern cities, presenting the networks of both traffic, water, and energy supply as core elements in an urban setting. The pavilion was located in the Central Exhibition Building on the Expo Axis.
The exhibition included a "Dynamic Station", reminiscent of the architecture of train station
s in the early 20th century. Train models from different generations were presented. The "Circular Pipeline" provides visitors into the insights of the underground infrastructures of a city. In the "Soul Square", an 8-minute video clip were shown through a large theater with seven folded screens and a 7000 m² velarium
.
. The pavilion portrayed the growth of the cities as a decisive factor for human progress over the ages. The pavilion is divided into four exhibition halls, the “Ideal Fantasy City”, “City Origin”, “Urban Development”, and “City Wisdom." The main lobby, "ideal Fantasy City" shows the Western and Eastern characteristics of an ideal city
. The pavilion used high tech installations as well as cultural relics loaned from international museums. The organizers described their concept for the presentation of the city's evolution as "an inspiration for urban development in the future."
Visitors walking through five exhibition rooms found examples of sustainable solutions for urban problems concerning living, traffic, energy supply, and city planning. There were specific references to innovations put into practice in such diverse cities as Beijing, Kōbe
, Freiburg im Breisgau, Canberra
and San Diego. The tour included is an animated movie shown in a 35-meter-high hall which presented a colorful fantasy world.
The pavilion is located in an old renovated manufacturing plant. It is the first building to receive a MOHURD three-star green building
certification, equipping many energy and eco-housing technologies such as solar panel, wind turbine
, as well as LED lighting.
.
It received a total of about 23 million visitors during the duration of the Expo.
The three-story Australia Pavilion was constructed on a 4,800 m² site and designed by leading Australian architectural firm Wood Marsh
in conjunction with creative design firm Think!OTS. The facade of the structure was composed of weathered steel, which oxidized in the months preceding the expo's opening. The red ochre color was meant to represent the "red center" desert regions of central Australia.
The pavilion cost AU$83 million, the most Australia has ever allocated for a pavilion in history. AU$6 million of the total cost was contributed by the state of Victoria
, whose largest foreign trading partner is China.
The mascot of the Australia pavilion was Peng Peng, a kookaburra
.
Pavilion during the duration of the Expo.
The pavilion celebrated its pavilion day on September 20 with a performance of traditional singing and dance. News at the website remarked it "Bravo and a big day for the country". The country's performance – "Eternal Bangladesh" was also highly praised.
Exhibits in the Belgian part of the pavilion included "the Wall of fame" – showing pictures of the most famous Belgians
; "the Wall of Smurfs," and a solar car
.
There was also a shopping area inside the pavilion which mainly sold chocolate by Godiva, Neuhaus and Guylian
.
On the second floor a restaurant that served typical Belgian dishes, like waterzooi
, a dish of sausage with mashed potatoes and fries. There was also a take-out
service outside the pavilion, selling Belgian specialty food
such as French fries
, Belgian ice cream
, and Belgian waffle
s.
of Borneo
and emphasized efforts to protect Brunei's environment and culture. A 4-D theater
introduced attendees to Brunei using recreated rainwater, wind, sound, and video.
The pavilion presented Bruneian cuisine
and local food brands throughout the Expo. The Brunei Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade hired Royal Brunei Catering
(RBC), the largest catering
firm in the country, to create a monthly rotating list of halal
certified local foods for pavilion visitors. Local drinks offered included teh tarik
mixed with "Gula Angau" – local sugar and tongkat ali, which consists of boiled long jack root mixed with coffee. Cuisine elements served included Brunei fried noodles
, nasi lemak
, dim sum
, and murtabak
.
in China), to be the pavilion's general manager.
The overall budget for the Canadian pavilion was Canadian dollars . Cirque du Soleil
designed the concept for the pavilion and also created public performances, organized cultural programs and developed strategic corporate alliances for the pavilion. The exterior of the pavilion was to be covered in polished steel and cedar
,. The pavilion was anchored by an open public square and surrounded by three large, wooden, curved structures. The square was to be a performing area, with performances by Cirque du Soleil. Part of the pavilion's exterior walls were covered by a special kind of greenery and rainwater was be collected by a drainage system for use inside the pavilion.
The Canadian pavilion featured the National Film Board of Canada
film Glimpses/Impressions
, depicting a day in the life of a composite Canadian city. Directed by Jean-François Pouliot
, Glimpses was created with over 3,000 animated photos projected onto a large screen with a 150-degree curve.
A restaurant in the pavilion served Moosehead Beer and poutine
. A corporate boardroom was constructed by Bombardier Inc., and a V.I.P. suite for business dealings was sponsored by the Power Corporation of Canada
.
Canada was the first country to sign a contract agreeing to open an exhibition at Expo 2010.
on its eastern side in Zone A of the Expo Park. The pavilion lay directly to the east of the Theme Pavilions and to the north of the Hong Kong and Macau pavilions.
The chief architect of the pavilion was He Jingtang
, the director of the Architectural Academy of the South China University of Technology
.
The 63-meter high pavilion, the tallest structure at the Expo, is dubbed "The Oriental Crown" because of its resemblance to an ancient Chinese crown
. The architectonic feature of the building was inspired by traditional Chinese roof brackets known as dougong
which dates back nearly 2,000 years. The exterior is painted in various shades of Chinese red, symbolising Chinese culture and good fortune.
The structure was built with a strong emphasis on sustainable and energy-saving practices
with the exterior offering thermal insulation
and natural ventilation
. The inverted pyramid design and the lower courtyard offers a large overhang
for shading. The environmentally friendly roof design allows rainwater harvesting
and is decorated with Chinese-style landscaping
.
The theme of the pavilion during the Expo was "Chinese Wisdom in Urban Development". The pavilion display was divided into three parts starting from the top of the building and finishing at the bottom.
Unlike most of the other pavilions, the China pavilion along with the Theme Pavilions, Expo Cultural Center
and the Expo Axis
were not dismantled following the Expo. The China pavilion will become a permanent history museum in Shanghai dedicated to Chinese culture and history.
. It houses the individual pavilion stalls of every one of China provinces
, municipalities and autonomous regions. In all there are 31 pavilions. Although each pavilion is relatively small in size, all are elaborately designed with cultural and architectural qualities unique to each province. For example, the exterior of the Heilongjiang
Pavilion resembles blocks of ice, alluding to the extremely cold environment of the province, while the Guizhou
pavilion boldly emphasises silver head decorations, displaying special folk characteristics.
showcased sustainability
and energy solutions along with unique Danish architecture and design.
The pavilion's centerpiece was The Little Mermaid
, marking the first time that the iconic statue had left Copenhagen
. The Little Mermaid was displayed in the center of an artificial pond within the pavilion. The original plans for the exhibit called for seawater from Copenhagen's harbor to be transported, but that idea was dropped because the water would be rotten when it reaches Shanghai. The intention of transporting the seawater with the statue had been intended to give a more authentic experience to spectators. The pavilion and Little Mermaid statue were unveiled on 25 April 2010, accompanied by a performance by singer Thomas Helmig
, who performed a song called Swim, written expressly for the statue's debut. Denmark's Tax Minister
Troels Lund Poulsen
also delivered a speech to mark the opening of the pavilion. According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth visitor on September 12, 2010.
On October 30, 2010, Denmark Pavilion welcomed its 5.55 millionth visitor – the population size of Denmark.
. The paintings included works by Paul Cézanne
, Jean-François Millet
, Édouard Manet
, Vincent van Gogh
, and Paul Gauguin
, while the sculpture was Auguste Rodin
's The Age of Bronze
'.
The Age of Bronze had previously been displayed at the Exposition Universelle
in 1889 and the 1900 Paris Expo
. The Angélus, by Jean-François Millet, was also shown at the 1867 Expo in Paris
.
The French pavilion won 3rd prize for best development of theme in the pavilion A category during the expo.
The centerpiece of the pavilion is a massive LED swinging ball that interacted in turn with the volume of the audience.
The pavilion won first prize for the best theme development of Expo 2010 for class A pavilions
tradition, in the hope of attracting Chinese tourists to visit Greece. By presenting the 24 hours of a day, the Greek Pavilion hoped to give visitors an experience of Greek night life in addition to the exhibits.
. The main theme of the Pavilion was "Hong Kong – A City with Unlimited Potential".
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 1 millionth visitor on July 31, 2010 and its 2 millionth visitor on August 17, 2010.
, a Hungarian invention by two mathematicians. Gomboc is a homogeneous object with the same self-righting feature as roly-poly. Gomboc symbolizes the creative and innovative spirit of the Hungarians, and also the philosophical aspect of mankind striving for harmony and balanced life.
On August 8, 2010, the pavilion welcomed its 3,333,333rd visitor – a third of Hungary's population. By the end of the expo, the Hungarian Pavilion received a total number of 5,785,400 million visitors. The Pavilion won Silver Prize in pavilion design of Category C.
, Iceland's capital.
. The main theme was "Cities of Harmony", reflecting the country's wide range of ethnic groups, religions, and languages
. The pavilion has a crimson central dome, while the focus of the exhibit was on the interaction between rural and urban areas through exchange of goods and services. Revolving around a journey of Indian cities from ancient times through medieval periods to modern India, the pavilion showcased India's rich cultural heritage, its faith, culture and language diversity, traditional and modern technological development, and urban-rural interface.
Pavilion Highlights:
, open plan, and oneness
with nature. It was described as a world of continuity, of being in harmony with each other and nature.
The exterior of the pavilion was covered with green bamboo
sticks with bamboo growing from the pavilion's ceiling. Bamboo has long been favored as a construction material due to its strong characteristics. The use of bamboo for the Indonesia Pavilion symbolized the synergy between the traditional and contemporary lifestyles of Indonesia, and represented Indonesia's endurance, humility and adaptability in embracing change.
The pavilion was divided into three zones: Bio Zone, Diverse Zone, and City Zone. The building also featured an indoor waterfall, Bio Tunnel, Music Tunnel, 680 m² Borobudur
Megawall, collection of 2,200 narrative exhibits, indoor screening room, amphitheater, dining area, and coffee corner.
The mascots of the pavilion were Pongo the orang utan and Koko the Komodo dragon
.
The total cost of the Indonesian Pavilion is estimated to have been IDR 200 billion or approx USD 23 million.
The Indonesia Pavilion welcomed its 8 millionth visitor on October 29, 2010. It was the 10 most visited Pavilion and received Bronze Medal in Creative Display category at the Pavilion Award.
Pavilion Highlights:
Its design was inspired by the game of Mikado
, which is called "Shanghai" in Italy and pick-up sticks
elsewhere. In said game, children drop a batch of 20 to 30 sticks on a table and try to move one stick at a time without moving the others until all the sticks are cleared.
The final project was selected from a field of 65 candidates in a competition among European Union entries, said Beniamino Quintieri, the commissioner general for Italy. The 20 modules represent the 20 regions of Italy
, making the whole pavilion embody a mini Italian city.
The building's design also represented the harmony of different cultures and regions. When people walked in the pavilion, they were to feel themselves as walking in a city that combines Shanghai's Shikumen
-style lanes and an Italian square.
Italy reserved a 6,000 m² plot of land for its pavilion. The edifice was made with cutting edge transparent cement which constitutes the 3,774 blocks of transparent concrete covering the building. Italcementi Group
, an Italy-based cement maker, developed the transparent cement employed to build the pavilion. Although the Italian group has not fully disclosed what was put into the mixture to make the cement, they said it contains transparent thermoplastic resin and inorganic materials such as alumina which can become solid without the use of water. Each block was able to transmit 20% of the light passing through.
Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of World Expo Shanghai Coordination, said that since Milan won the bid to host World Expo 2015
, Italy was more than just a participant at Shanghai Expo. He said that China and Italy were the hosts of "sister Expos" and would have many chances to share valuable experience.
According to designer Giampaolo Imbrighi the Italian pavilion had these fundamental characteristics:
The spatial atmosphere of the building was brought about by:
wind tunnel
was the centrepiece of the pavilion. Through the latest technological advances, the wind tunnel allows visitors to fly in both a figurative and literal sense. The flight is said to embody the harmony, happiness, and creative energy that people have always pursued.
Pavilion has the shape of a rabbit paper lantern
, resembling traits of a multicultural city. Inside the pavilion, there were about 120 projectors for the main exhibition.
The Malaysia Pavilion showcased rural building with Minangkabau's "Rumah Gadang
" architecture. The roof design with a myriad of colours showcasing the Malaysian "Batik
" design. The building will comprise two streamlined high slopes with a cross on top, the symbol of Malaysian architecture. The facade of the pavilion will be made from a combination of recyclable materials of palm oil and plastic. The design of the Malaysia Pavilion is derived from the unique architectural style of the Rumah Negeri Sembilan (Negeri Sembilan house), distinguished by their horn-shaped roofs too.
After the Expo, the pavilion was to be donated to the cityy of Wuxi
in the People's Republic of China.
systems. Movable booths, various sculptures, giant rocks, and the evolution of historical cities were exhibited with sophisticated audio-visual technologies to showcase the complexity, uniqueness, and development trends within Malta's modern cities.
According to the official site, the Mexico pavilion welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on August 12, 2010 .
Pavilion was "Better Urbanization with Harmonized Eco-System". The pavilion-style entrance, magnificent wall, and the bridge represented the distinct Southeast Asian flavor and architectural charm of Myanmar. Featuring holy temples and traditional buildings, the pavilion adopted advanced display methods to introduce local customs, rich resources, and brilliant culture of Myanmar. The pavilion was located in zone A of the Expo.
styled buildings in the expo. Through the Expo, Nepal planned to attract foreigners to Nepal in the year 2011 as part of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011
campaign.
With the theme "Tales of Kathmandu City", the pavilion captured important historic moments of the city. The pavilion displayed the luster of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal and an architectural, artistic, and cultural center that has developed over 2,000 years.
The theme touched upon the soul of a city by exploring its past and future. Another highlight of the pavilion was Nepal's efforts in environmental protection and developing renewable energies. The pavilion was in the form of an ancient Buddhist temple in Kathmandu, surrounded by traditional Nepalese houses.
s, but also represented some of the architectural highlights of the country. The VIP room was built in the form of a crown, which gave the structure its nickname.
The building was designed by John Körmeling. It was formally opened by prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
. The pavilion's themes were water management
, innovation, and architecture. The exhibition showed a hair of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh
. The catering which was performed by Maison van den Boer (By Appointment to the Court of the Netherlands)
included Dutch specialties that have been adjusted to the Chinese taste, like croquettes made with Peking duck
.
A separate Water Pavilion of the city of Rotterdam
showed a spectacular water printer. The venue management of both the Netherlands and the Rotterdam WaterCity Pavilion was performed by De Vries + Partners / DVP China Eventmarketing.
On October 3, 2010, the 'Happy Street' welcomed its 7th million visitor, which was 10% of the total visitors of the Expo 2010
, and above the 5 to 10% goal of the Dutch stand. Its record breaking day was achieved on Saturday October 16, with 80,000 visitors on one day, which was the same day of the record high of 1 million people visiting that Expo on one day. On Thursday the 21st of October 'Happy Street' officially welcomed its 8th million visitor.
The Dutch stand won 'the Golden Eye 2010 award' for 'best design of the year', granted by the Dutch Design Awards
.
Tree. Because New Zealand is the world's first developed nation to sign a Free Trade Agreement with China, the pavilion was located near the China Pavilion
.
The theme Cities of Nature: Living between land and Sky followed the history of New Zealand
mixed with nature, modern living, economics, and technology and how it could make for a sustainable and a creative future. The pavilion's roof was landscaped with real native flora of New Zealand
including a bubbling mud pool and a beautiful coastline. This rooftop garden was divided into four parts: Tropical Land, Farmland, Gondwanaland (pre-historic land), and a Thermal Wonderland which displayed active geysers, sulphur craters, and an active volcano. In addition, part of the rooftop acted as a sheltered viewing platform overlooking the forecourt below which, during the expo, hosted various displays and live performances.
A newly carved giant Waka
(Māori canoe) was also to be on show during the expo, and was expected to then be gifted to the people of China.
Another feature was a 1.8-tonne Greenstone (Pounamu/Jade
) boulder which further symbolised the connection between China and New Zealand, as the rock is significant to both peoples.
The pavilion's interior took visitors on a hi-tech journey through time from New Zealand's earliest beginning to what it has achieved today.
, a small replica of Juche Tower
, cultural and contemporary displays, and a souvenir counter. The souvenirs included works by Kim Jong-il
and a selection of North Korean music DVDs, some of which are also projected in the pavilion.
and showed the colors of the Nigerian flag (
).
and Nizwa
, which was attached to the front of a traditional Omani ship.
Pavilion, which was the third largest national pavilion after China and the combined Africa pavilions, housed the stands and exhibitions of fifteen Pacific Island nations and French Polynesia
. Countries participating in the pavilion included the Cook Islands
, the Federated States of Micronesia
, Fiji
, Kiribati
, the Marshall Islands
, Nauru
, Niue
, Palau
, Papua New Guinea
, Samoa
, the Solomon Islands
, Tonga
, Tuvalu
, and Vanuatu
. French Polynesia
was also represented with its own exhibition stand. Additionally, The Pacific Islands Forum
and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation
exhibited within the pavilion. The Pacific Pavilion was located near the entrance to the Expo, adjacent to the China pavilion.
Each country within the Pacific Pavilion was assigned its own exhibition stand, which are all shaped like a vaka sail
, though each nation was responsible for its own design. Much of the materials for the exhibits arrived in early April. The interior of the pavilion featured mobile
s depicting postage stamps from each country. The pavilion was decorated throughout with exotic furniture from Fijian company Pacific Green
. Large banners, designed by signage and art director
Roger Huggett, were hung from the pavilion's entrance, displaying welcome signs written in various Pacific languages.
A soft opening, held before the official May 1 opening date, attracted 69,811 visitors to the Pacific Pavilion, despite the fact that only the French Polynesian booth was completed at the time.
exhibition was located within the Pacific Pavilion. The Chinese government covered the total $650,000 cost of the exhibit and travel expenses. The Cook Islands' stand, which included 324 square meters of exhibition space, was designed by Woods Creative of New Zealand. The stand, which was staffed by Chinese volunteers and Cook Islander expatriates living in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, showed Cook Islander culture and local brands, such as Avaiki Cook Islands pearls.
of Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau, will also promote tourism, trade, and products produced in the Solomons. A giant carved nguzunguzu was positioned in front of the Solomon Islands booth to as a centerpiece of the attraction.
of the Lahore Fort
. The gatekeeper
in traditional dress with frill turban attracted immediate attention. The interior offered glimpses of a former royal garden. Other features inside the pavilion gave visitors an understanding of the urban life in Pakistan through a range of visual aspects and multimedia presentations.
The three major highlights of the pavilion included:
The 2,000 m² Philippines Pavilion was designed to become the largest exhibition in the country's history at the World Expo. The theme of the pavilion was "Performing Cities."
Filipino
architect Ed Calma's architectural firm designed the building. A montage
of giant hands, representing both well-known and ordinary Filipinos, featured across the pavilion's facade. The hands ware meant "to emphasize the human dimension in urbanization, and to assert the Filipino's genius at (hand) crafting vital relationships through work, art, and play." The interior of the pavilion featured exhibitions, videos, performances showcasing the Philippines' best cities, based on standards used by the World Bank
. The Filipino cities that featured at the Expo were Calbayog, Cebu
, Davao
, Iloilo City
, Naga City
, Makati, Manila
, Malaybalay, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando City, La Union
, and Taguig. Other exhibits included concerts, a boutique, and a cafe.
The pavilion featured daily performances by Filipino artists and entertainers, including the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
, Ballet Philippines
, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, pianist Cecille Licad, Joanna Go, Rachelle Gerodiea, and the group Kontra Gapi.
The estimated cost of the Philippines' participation in the Expo was . Half of the expenses covered by Filipino-Chinese chambers of commerce and half by corporate sponsors. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
was expected to attend the Philippine Independence Day
celebrations at the pavilion on June 9, a few days before the actual holiday, in what may be her last official foreign trip before leaving office later that month.
. The designers of this project wanted to translate folk patterns into the contemporary language of architectural form.
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 5 millionth visitor on August 27, 2010.
The Romania Pavilion was built on a surface of about 2,000 m², and its design evolved around the color and environmental implications of "green," inspired by the apple, the most popular fruit in Romania and representing a "green city," healthy life and the concept of sustainable development. The exhibition included three sections——“Millennium in Retrospect”, “Social and urban development promoted by history and nature”, and “City life close to nature”.
when at the Expo.
The pavilion towers symbolized rapidly growing megalopolises with skyscrapers of a nonlinear architecture. The white-gold color of the towers resembled historical images of Russian architecture while the perforation of the upper tower parts was created based upon ethnic ornaments of the peoples who populate Russia.
The pavilion plan, similar to the outlay of a Slavic
settlement, symbolized "the flower of life" or the sun, roots of "the world tree" (a spreading oak among the Slavs) where "the life heavens" lie. The towers "roots" were oriented to the center of the composition and support "the civilization cube" connected with a symbol "man".
The elements of the cube's external decoration could move and that organizes huge surfaces of "the living facade" which by reflecting the sky, the towers, greenery and people created image of a giant living being at daytime. At night with the help of special lighting an even more stunning effect of the changing light-color-dynamic screen was created.
The narrative demonstration slogan represented in the Russian pavilion was: better city is the city of a dream, happiness, a good place for children to live in. Original children's ideas, youth projects and inventions will let dip into the future. As today's children are those who will live on the Earth tomorrow, they will build new cities, make scientific discoveries and implement them in life
Built on a plot of 7,600 m², the Saudi Arabia Pavilion was the second largest after the China's national pavilion in terms of area and height, Saudi Arabia spent $164 million on its pavilion, which was the highest figure spent by one nation amongst of all visiting countries. The pavilion was designed to resemble a giant oil tanker
.
The centerpiece of the Saudi Arabia pavilion featured a huge hanging boat shaped like a half moon. Date palms were planted on the top deck of the "moon boat", creating a hanging garden, and thus epitomizing oases in the desert. Visitors were welcomed to the pavilion in both modern, as well as traditional, Bedouin
tents set among date palm trees. The Saudi government imported the date palms and a full mosque for the expo. A large screen, estimated to be the size of a soccer field, projected images of King Abdullah
meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao
.
China is Saudi Arabia's fastest growing trading partner. A large stage within the pavilion was used to unveil joint Saudi-Chinese business deals, including a new railway between the cities of Mecca
and Medina
, which will be constructed by a Chinese firm.
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on August 1, 2010.
. The pavilion was built in the process of weaving, merging and matching modular parts that represent the Pirot
rug theme. Modules were made of metal, plastic and porcelain affixed upon networks of wedges and cables. Serbian National Day is June 27 when the pavilion hosted Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković
, an investment forum and many cultural events including series of concerts by Slobodan Trkulja and his band Balkanopolis. The Serbian pavilion also featured a visit by actor Bata Živojinović
.
mix of residents of different races living peacefully together.
The two environmental aspects that Singapore has successfully tackled in balancing progress with sustainability
– water and garden – formed the softscape of the pavilion as its two design elements. The pavilion incorporated an orchestra of elements into its design – music fountains, an interplay of sounds and visuals, and roof garden flora, with the country's unique rhythm and melody.
Unique Design supported by four columns of different profiles, the entire structural system featured floors of different shapes and sizes, connected by ramps and stairs suspended from trusses to form a tensional balance, which symbolized a harmonious coexistence of people who live, work, and vacation in Singapore.
Architect :Natalia Micunovic, Chief Designer :Eric ZHONG, Exhibition Director :Shanfeng ZHONG, Creative Director :Zhidao LU, Plan Director :Vincent l.j. deng
, Media Director :Bo WU.
There was a "Hanging Garden", a rooftop garden landscaped with exotic flora and music fountains. Here visitors received a first-hand feel of Singapore as a Garden City.
The South Korea Pavilion was a three story building with the exterior decorated in the 20 basic letters of the Korean alphabet. South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak
and his wife opened the pavilion in Shanghai on May 1. Korea also had a separate corporate pavilion to showcase its wares to its largest trading partner, China.
The pavilion won second prize for category A pavilion design.
According to the official site, the Republic of Korea pavilion welcomed its 3,888,888th visitor on August 19, 2010 . The numbers three and eight symbolize blessing and good luck in Chinese culture, therefore the pavilion presented gifts to its 3,888,888th visitor.
facade, designed by the Spanish architect studio EMBT Miralles-Tagliabue
, it commemorates the resemblance in both textile cultural background of both Spain and China, wishing to unite the two cultural countries with a symbol with this wicker basket technique, the exterior undulate walls hides special meanings to Chinese characters embedded in the facade.
The pavilion comprised three exhibition halls designed by the UTE Empty- Noe Special Concept design. The three exhibition halls featured a movie by Bigas Luna
in the first exhibition hall, a technological giant projection screen room in hall 2 and the future hall 3 with the giant baby by Spanish director Isabel Coixet
.
According to the official website, the Spain pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth visitor on August 10, 2010.
The Taiwan Pavilion, created by C. Y. Lee
, was designed to resemble a lantern
and parts of Taipei 101
. In the center of the pavilion a gigantic round LED screen projected images of Taiwan and its culture.
Now that Expo 2010 has concluded, the pavilion will be disassembled and shipped to Hsinchu
, where it will become a permanent attraction.
The Thailand Pavilion had three separate chambers. While interchanging three groups numerous of people around the building, visitors could sense and briefly experience the beauties and wonders of the country.
In front of the building was an "Intarachit" (Indrajit)
commonly seen guarding Thai temples and sacred areas in Thailand. The two statues represented the long-lasting relational bond between China and Thailand. The first part of the exhibition contains a miniature outdoor gallery, surrounded by water features and a traditional Naga fountain, the host sometimes will entertain waiting visitors by teaching simple Thai vocabulary
before entering the pavilion. The first chamber of the pavilion features a four-sided screen with rainwater features, where visitors could view videos of Thai culture. Below the screen was a water theme, featuring projected lotus ponds and other objects relating to the movie screened above, giving an impression of a "Thai" environment.
The second chamber projected a 360° clip, explaining Thai history and the four eras of prosperity, from the Sukhothai era
, when King Ramkhamhaeng the Great invented the Thai alphabet
to the present Rattanakosin Kingdom. While traveling in time between eras, art designs of the specific era or "Lai Thai" (ลายไทย) can be seen decorated the plain pillars around to room.
The last assembly room included a 3D movie about tourism in Thailand, which featured Siam Paragon
, one of the largest shopping complexes in Southeast Asia, along with Siam Ocean World
, the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia. The pavilion also features Thai cuisine, provided by Thai Airways
, and a Souvenir Shop, tight-packed with delicate collectables. The exterior of the building was decorated with Thai decorations and traditional roofs and delicate designs.
Lospalos-style roof, carved wooden door, processed palm leaves and a dazzling array of handicrafts depict a unique look of Timor-Leste. With the help of lighting, the country's natural scenery, scenes of work and entertainment of its people are displayed, showing the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
The design for the exterior of the 2,000 m² Turkey Pavilion was derived from one of the first known settlements in the world called Catalhoyuk
, the center of advanced culture in the Neolithic
period. The pavilion looked like a red and beige box with an animal sculpture.
, was designed to resemble a sand dune. The building, which was constructed of gold-colored glass, was curved to imitate the natural formations of the leeward and windward sides of the sand dunes found in the U.A.E. Foster's design also drew attention to the country's traditional Bedouin
culture.
Now that Expo 2010 has concluded, the pavilion will be disassembled and shipped to Abu Dhabi
, where it will become a permanent attraction.
" and nicknamed the "Dandelion". The pavilion won the title of Best Pavilion at the Expo.
, Dee Dee Bridgewater
, and Herbie Hancock
.
The US Pavilion, with its theme of "Rising to the Challenge," was a gray steel structure designed to resemble an eagle with its wings outstretched to welcome pavilion visitors. The 60,000 sq. foot (5574 sq. meter) United States Pavilion, constructed largely from glass and steel, was designed by Canadian architect Clive Grout.
The US Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo is noted as the only national pavilion at the Expo and the only US Pavilion in recent history solely funded by the financial contributions of approximately 60 multinational corporations.
. It was structured in the form of an "8" - a symbolic number both in China and Venezuela, with the eight stars of Bolivar recently incorporated into the Venezuelan flag. The pavilion depicted many traditional aspects of Venezuela's history and culture. There was one escalator, an auditorium, an open-air atrium with a small café offering fresh fruit juices and fried Venezuelan snacks.
and China Telecom
.
The 6,196-square-meter pavilion was designed so that hexagonal panels, which cover the building's entire exterior, continuously change colors and animate in various patterns. These panels were made of recyclable material and most of the construction materials used for the pavilion were environmentally friendly and intended to recyclable and reusable at the end of the Expo. In addition to its recyclable content, another sustainable feature of the Information and Communication Pavilion was the use of cold water from the Expo site to regulate the building's indoor temperature and reduce energy consumption and emissions.
The show aspects of the Information and Communication Pavilion were conceived and produced by designer Bob Rogers' Burbank, California based firm, BRC Imagination Arts. The firm, which was also responsible for the show aspects of the US Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, has an extensive history in Expo show designs, producing content for six world's fairs, including the film for the Vancouver Expo, "Rainbow War", which was nominated for an Academy Award ("Oscar").
Visitors to the Information and Communication Pavilion participated in its show elements with the use of mobile devices that enable each to interact with show content and show characters.
The interaction began before pavilion visitors enter the pavilion structure. Outside, in the pavilion's outdoor queue, referred to as the "Dream Garden", visitors waiting to enter the pavilion could use mobile phones to interact with the information and video streaming all around them. Once in the pavilion, visitors were given a personal interactive device carry with them to use in both the pre-show as well as in the main show portions of the pavilion experience. The pre-show film presented visitors with highlights of key moments and the historically important figures who led to advancements in communication technologies. In the main show, visitors used their personal interactive devices to further interact with the main show characters and events and record personal choices of ideas presented to them in the show. The interaction by the audience with the storylines of the show's key characters, and immersive theater and screen special effects, helped to relay the ideal that the capabilities of communications in our future society are limitless.
jointly produced a pavilion spanning around 6,000 square meters about driving in 2030.
The pavilion featured futuristic demonstrations of highly mobile electric cars named EN-V. The New York Times notes, "The trio have separate personalities. Xiao ("laugh" in Chinese) by Holden
in Australia is playful and lighthearted, a "gumball blue" cousin to Wall-E
, the film character. Miao (Magic) was designed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in California. Its LED accents applied to a dark form suggesting a large motorcycle helmet were inspired by consumer electronics. Jiao (Pride), by G.M. Europe designers, suggests Western admiration for China with a clean and bright look inspired by bullet trains and Chinese opera masks."
, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Forum Francophone des Affaires, Global Environment Facility
, International Association of Public Transport, International Council of Museums
, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
, League of Arab States (sometimes called Arab League), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, United Cities and Local Governments, World Water Council (WWC)
and the World Wildlife Fund
pilgrimage. The pavilion described transport, accommodation and sanitation needs and solutions.
, the birth city of Hans Christian Andersen
, had an exhibition called Spinning Wheels, showcasing the city as a bike friendly destination.
to 2010 Winter Olympics
and included pictures and plans which showed how areas had changed over the 24 years between the city's two most significant international events
The number of visitors reached 1 million in July
. It hosted a wedding in October.
, energy conservation
, natural phenomenon (via a 3-D film
), weather forecasting
, disaster prevention and climate change
.
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
. The 2010 World Expo Shanghai is the largest Expo
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
site ever, covering more than 5.2 square kilometers and containing more than 70 exposition pavilions. More than 190 countries and 50 international organizations registered to participate in the 2010 Shanghai Expo. After the six month run, the Expo had attracted well over 70 million visitors. The Expo 2010 is also the most expensive fair in the history of World's Fair, with more than 45 billion US dollars invested from the Chinese Government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
.
Theme pavilions
There were five central theme pavilions at the Expo 2010 – Urban Footprint, Urban Planet, Urbanian, City Being, and Urban Future – each exploring different aspects of urban development.Three of the five theme pavilions were located in the Central Exhibition Building constructed by the Chinese host. Covering an area of 11.5 hectares, it is the largest exhibition structure in the history of World Expositions
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
. The building was located near the Expo Axis, in Zone B. The total exhibition space of this building was 80,000 m². A 7,000 m² multifunctional room in the building's centre had an atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
onto which some of the individual pavilions opened. Construction was completed in September 2009 before interior construction began.
Urban Planet Pavilion
The Urban Planet Pavilion was located in the central exhibition building on the Expo Axis. The concept and design were contributed by the German communication agency Triad Berlin Projektgesellschaft. The company, which had already designed a pavilion for the Expo 2000Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, won an international bidding contest against more than 150 competitors. Triad Berlin was responsible for construction management and the supervision of the artistic aspects of the pavilion.
With its total floor space of 12,000 m², the Urban Planet pavilion addressed the complex processes marking urbanization. According to its designers, the scenography
Scenography
-Usage:Whilst also aligned with the professional practice of the scenographer, it is important to distinguish the individual elements that comprise the 'design' of a performance event from the term 'scenography' which is as an artistic perspective concerning the visual, experiential and spatial...
combined Western forms of artistic expression with ideas from the Chinese Feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
heritage. The exhibition was characterized by a dichotomous structure illustrating the two-faced character of the city as both a consumer of environment and as a place for innovation and technology in the service of an ecological renewal for the future.
The first part of the exhibition "Road of Crisis" is made of five chapters, each corresponding to the five elements in Wu Xing: Water − Fire − Metal − Wood − Earth. Itreflected the potential of destruction emanating from the cities, the threats facing the ecosystem, and the depletion of Earth's natural resources. The second part of the exhibition, "Road of Solution" offered possible approaches to the problems that were expressed.
The pavilion was one of the largest in this Expo 2010. The wide corridors and enormous size of the pavilion were to provide a visit with limited waiting times, compared to other pavilions.
Urbanian Pavilion
The concept for the Urbanian Pavilion was contributed by the Dutch designer Herman Kossmann and focused on residents of modern cities. According to Kossmann, its guiding principle was the awareness that city plannersUrban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
have to address the urgent needs of the residents as "the prerequisite for the city's sustainable development."
Video clips in the exhibition illustrated the stories of six real families, from cities in six continents: Paris (Europe), São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
(Latin America), Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
(North America), Lijiang, Yunnan (Asia), Melbourne (Oceania), and Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
(Africa). The videos covered different issues – such as family, work, relationship, education, and health – of an average city dweller's life.
City Being Pavilion
The City Being pavilion is designed by the join venture of the China Central Academy of Fine ArtsChina Central Academy of Fine Arts
China Central Academy of Fine Arts or CAFA is the only advanced academy of fine arts under direct charge of Department of Education in China. The Manila Bulletin called the school "China’s most prestigious and renowned art academy"...
and Land Design Studio in London. The exhibition examined the growth of infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
s of modern cities, presenting the networks of both traffic, water, and energy supply as core elements in an urban setting. The pavilion was located in the Central Exhibition Building on the Expo Axis.
The exhibition included a "Dynamic Station", reminiscent of the architecture of train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s in the early 20th century. Train models from different generations were presented. The "Circular Pipeline" provides visitors into the insights of the underground infrastructures of a city. In the "Soul Square", an 8-minute video clip were shown through a large theater with seven folded screens and a 7000 m² velarium
Velarium
A Velarium was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea in the Colosseum to protect spectators from the elements...
.
Urban Footprint Pavilion
The concept and design for the Urban Footprint Pavilion were contributed by the Shanghai MuseumShanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, People's Republic of China.-History:...
. The pavilion portrayed the growth of the cities as a decisive factor for human progress over the ages. The pavilion is divided into four exhibition halls, the “Ideal Fantasy City”, “City Origin”, “Urban Development”, and “City Wisdom." The main lobby, "ideal Fantasy City" shows the Western and Eastern characteristics of an ideal city
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
. The pavilion used high tech installations as well as cultural relics loaned from international museums. The organizers described their concept for the presentation of the city's evolution as "an inspiration for urban development in the future."
Urban Future Pavilion
The Urban Future pavilion in Zone B. The exhibition was designed by the Spanish agency Ingeniaqued in cooperation with the Chinese artist Bu Hua. The concept involved an imaginary travel into the future, adopting an optimistic view of opportunities for developing habitable cities via a combination of technological progress and tradition.Visitors walking through five exhibition rooms found examples of sustainable solutions for urban problems concerning living, traffic, energy supply, and city planning. There were specific references to innovations put into practice in such diverse cities as Beijing, Kōbe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Freiburg im Breisgau, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and San Diego. The tour included is an animated movie shown in a 35-meter-high hall which presented a colorful fantasy world.
The pavilion is located in an old renovated manufacturing plant. It is the first building to receive a MOHURD three-star green building
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
certification, equipping many energy and eco-housing technologies such as solar panel, wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, as well as LED lighting.
National pavilions
189 of the world's 196 nations were represented at Expo 2010, either in stand-alone pavilions or within larger pavilions. The three largest national pavilions were the China Pavilion, the Africa Pavilion, and the Pacific PavilionPacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
.
Africa Pavilion
The Africa Pavilion is made up of joint presentation by 42 nations and 1 organization from Africa.It received a total of about 23 million visitors during the duration of the Expo.
Australia
Wood Marsh
Wood Marsh Pty Ltd Architecture is a Melbourne based Australian architectural practice founded by Roger Wood and Randal Marsh in 1983. Their design aesthetic and approach is often based on the sculptural form, a sense of drama, spatial arrangements, mood, and three-dimensional design...
in conjunction with creative design firm Think!OTS. The facade of the structure was composed of weathered steel, which oxidized in the months preceding the expo's opening. The red ochre color was meant to represent the "red center" desert regions of central Australia.
The pavilion cost AU$83 million, the most Australia has ever allocated for a pavilion in history. AU$6 million of the total cost was contributed by the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, whose largest foreign trading partner is China.
The mascot of the Australia pavilion was Peng Peng, a kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
.
Argentina
More than 4 million visits were made to the ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Pavilion during the duration of the Expo.
Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Pavilion was themed as "The Spirit and Growth of Golden Bengal." The pavilion entrance was decorated with colorful traditional Bangladeshi patterns, a sculpture, pictures of Bangladeshi urban areas, and models of traditional architecture. The pavilion mainly emphasized on two key features: the national features and the traditional gourmet of Bangladesh.The pavilion celebrated its pavilion day on September 20 with a performance of traditional singing and dance. News at the website remarked it "Bravo and a big day for the country". The country's performance – "Eternal Bangladesh" was also highly praised.
Belgium
The Belgium Pavilion received 7 million visitors during the expo. The interior of the pavilion featured a giant model of a brain cell, representing innovation in Belgium. Because Belgium was due to assume the presidency of the European Union in 2010, the pavilion also housed the joint initiatives of the EU. The pavilion was opened by Manuel Barroso.Exhibits in the Belgian part of the pavilion included "the Wall of fame" – showing pictures of the most famous Belgians
Belgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
; "the Wall of Smurfs," and a solar car
Solar car
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part...
.
There was also a shopping area inside the pavilion which mainly sold chocolate by Godiva, Neuhaus and Guylian
Guylian
Guylian is a Belgian chocolate manufacturer founded by Guy Foubert in 1960. The company takes its name from the combination of Foubert's first name with that of his wife, Liliane....
.
On the second floor a restaurant that served typical Belgian dishes, like waterzooi
Waterzooi
Waterzooi is a classic stew of Flanders. Its name is Dutch, "zooien" meaning "to boil". It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi which refers to Ghent, a city in Belgium....
, a dish of sausage with mashed potatoes and fries. There was also a take-out
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
service outside the pavilion, selling Belgian specialty food
Belgian cuisine
Belgium has been called a nation of gourmands rather than gourmets: a country, in other words, where "big cuisine" comes before "fine cuisine". It has been said that Belgium serves food of French quality in German quantities.-Frieten or frites:...
such as French fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, Belgian ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, and Belgian waffle
Belgian waffle
The Belgian waffle is a type of waffle identified by its larger size, lighter batter and higher grid pattern which forms deep pockets and has larger squares than other types...
s.
Brunei
The 1,000 m² Brunei Pavilion was themed "Now for the Future". It opened to the public on May 8, 2010, one week after the opening of the Expo. The interior design mainly consists of vertical, revolving patterns that symbolizes development and the improvement of the lives of Brunei's citizens. The pavilion featured a pathway through the rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
and emphasized efforts to protect Brunei's environment and culture. A 4-D theater
4-D film
4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...
introduced attendees to Brunei using recreated rainwater, wind, sound, and video.
The pavilion presented Bruneian cuisine
Bruneian cuisine
Bruneian cuisine is the cuisine of Brunei. It's similar to, and heavily influenced by the cuisine of neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with additional influences from India, China, Thailand, and Japan. As is common in the region, fish and rice are staple foods, though beef is...
and local food brands throughout the Expo. The Brunei Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade hired Royal Brunei Catering
Royal Brunei Catering
Royal Brunei Catering is a company whose main business is in the catering and restaurant business. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Brunei Airlines.-Dairy Farm :...
(RBC), the largest catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
firm in the country, to create a monthly rotating list of halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
certified local foods for pavilion visitors. Local drinks offered included teh tarik
Teh tarik
Teh tarik is a hot Malaysian tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in southeastern Asian country such as Malaysia. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation...
mixed with "Gula Angau" – local sugar and tongkat ali, which consists of boiled long jack root mixed with coffee. Cuisine elements served included Brunei fried noodles
Fried noodles
Fried noodles are common throughout East and Southeast Asia. Many varieties, cooking styles, and ingredients exist.-Stir-fried:*Beef chow fun - Cantonese dish of stir-fried beef, flat rice noodles, bean sprouts, and green onions....
, nasi lemak
Nasi lemak
Nasi lemak is a dish sold in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. The dish is considered the national dish and a national heritage of Malaysia. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes...
, dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
, and murtabak
Murtabak
Martabak or murtabak, also mutabbaq, is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in Saudi Arabia , Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei. Depending on the location, the name and ingredients can significantly vary...
.
Canada
The 6,000 m² Canada Pavilion featured an exhibition themed "The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative". The pavilion is expected to receive up to people or 30,000 visitors per day, during the six-month Expo period. Canada hired Mark Rowswell, (known as DashanDashan
Dashan is the Chinese stage name adopted by Canadian Mark Henry Rowswell, CM who works as a freelance performer in People's Republic of China. Relatively unknown in the West, Dashan is the most famous Western personality in China's media industry. He occupies a unique position as a foreign...
in China), to be the pavilion's general manager.
The overall budget for the Canadian pavilion was Canadian dollars . Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
designed the concept for the pavilion and also created public performances, organized cultural programs and developed strategic corporate alliances for the pavilion. The exterior of the pavilion was to be covered in polished steel and cedar
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
,. The pavilion was anchored by an open public square and surrounded by three large, wooden, curved structures. The square was to be a performing area, with performances by Cirque du Soleil. Part of the pavilion's exterior walls were covered by a special kind of greenery and rainwater was be collected by a drainage system for use inside the pavilion.
The Canadian pavilion featured the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
film Glimpses/Impressions
Glimpses/Impressions
Glimpses/Impressions is a film by Jean-François Pouliot for the Canadian pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The 5 minute 20 second-long film depicts 24 hours in the life of an imaginary urban centre, created from composite images from major Canadian cities...
, depicting a day in the life of a composite Canadian city. Directed by Jean-François Pouliot
Jean-François Pouliot
Jean-François Pouliot is a Quebec film director.He was born in Montreal and studied at Concordia University. He worked as an assistant cameraman, while also writing and directing short animated films for the National Film Board...
, Glimpses was created with over 3,000 animated photos projected onto a large screen with a 150-degree curve.
A restaurant in the pavilion served Moosehead Beer and poutine
Poutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
. A corporate boardroom was constructed by Bombardier Inc., and a V.I.P. suite for business dealings was sponsored by the Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada is a Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
.
Canada was the first country to sign a contract agreeing to open an exhibition at Expo 2010.
China
The China Pavilion was the largest national pavilion at the Expo with a footprint of more than 71,000 m² and a gross floor area in excess of 160,000 m². It is also the most expensive pavilion, costing an estimated US$220 million. The building is located halfway along the Expo AxisExpo Axis
The Expo Axis is one of the world's largest membrane roof, which spans the entrance and boulevard building of the World Exposition 2010 in Shanghai....
on its eastern side in Zone A of the Expo Park. The pavilion lay directly to the east of the Theme Pavilions and to the north of the Hong Kong and Macau pavilions.
The chief architect of the pavilion was He Jingtang
He Jingtang
He Jingtang is a prominent Chinese architect and professor at the South China University of Technology's school of architecture whose works include the wrestling and badminton venues built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and now most famously the Chinese Pavilion sometimes referred to as the "Crown...
, the director of the Architectural Academy of the South China University of Technology
South China University of Technology
South China University of Technology is a Chinese university located in Guangzhou, capital of the Guangdong province. In 1999, SCUT ranked No...
.
The 63-meter high pavilion, the tallest structure at the Expo, is dubbed "The Oriental Crown" because of its resemblance to an ancient Chinese crown
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
. The architectonic feature of the building was inspired by traditional Chinese roof brackets known as dougong
Dougong
Dougong is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese architecture....
which dates back nearly 2,000 years. The exterior is painted in various shades of Chinese red, symbolising Chinese culture and good fortune.
The structure was built with a strong emphasis on sustainable and energy-saving practices
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world...
with the exterior offering thermal insulation
Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...
and natural ventilation
Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation is the process of supplying and removing air through an indoor space without using mechanical systems. It refers to the flow of external air to an indoor space as a result of pressure or temperatures differences. There are two types of natural ventilation occurring in...
. The inverted pyramid design and the lower courtyard offers a large overhang
Overhang (architecture)
An overhang in architecture is a protruding structure which may provide protection for lower levels. Overhangs on two sides of Pennsylvania Dutch barns protect doors, windows, and other lower level structure. Overhangs on all four sides of barns is common in Swiss architecture...
for shading. The environmentally friendly roof design allows rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
and is decorated with Chinese-style landscaping
Chinese garden
The Chinese garden, also known as a Chinese classical garden, is a style of landscape garden which has evolved for more than three thousand years, and which is inspired by Chinese literature, Chinese painting and Chinese philosophy...
.
The theme of the pavilion during the Expo was "Chinese Wisdom in Urban Development". The pavilion display was divided into three parts starting from the top of the building and finishing at the bottom.
- Exploring the Oriental Footprint: This first part highlights the wisdom of Chinese urban practices in Chinese history, from the achievements of China's reforms in the late 1970s to the urban experiences of Imperial China. Among the highlights were two films exploring the developments in the lives of ordinary Chinese in the last 30 years, an animation of the famous painting “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival” projected onto a huge screen, and the display of a four-horse chariotChariotThe chariot is a type of horse carriage used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and also built in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two wheeled...
from the Terracotta ArmyTerracotta ArmyThe Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China...
. - The Experience Trip: Excursion trains provided a journey exploring urban wisdom in modern and present times, with a track that followed close by for wheelchair users to share the experience.
- Focus on a Lower Carbon Future: An exploration of a lower carbon future in China.
Unlike most of the other pavilions, the China pavilion along with the Theme Pavilions, Expo Cultural Center
Shanghai Arena
The Mercedes-Benz Arena is a new indoor arena, in Shanghai, China. The arena was home to the Expo 2010 Shanghai China venue. The facility seats 18,000 people...
and the Expo Axis
Expo Axis
The Expo Axis is one of the world's largest membrane roof, which spans the entrance and boulevard building of the World Exposition 2010 in Shanghai....
were not dismantled following the Expo. The China pavilion will become a permanent history museum in Shanghai dedicated to Chinese culture and history.
China's joint provincial pavilion
China's Joint Provincial Pavilion is a large box-shaped building located underneath the China PavilionChina pavilion at Expo 2010
The China pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, colloquially known as the Oriental Crown , was the largest national pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and the largest display in the history of the World Expo. It was also the most expensive pavilion at the Shanghai Expo costing an estimated US$220...
. It houses the individual pavilion stalls of every one of China provinces
Province (China)
A province, in the context of Chinese government, is a translation of sheng formally provincial level divisions, which is an administrative division. Provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions, make up the four types of province of administrative division...
, municipalities and autonomous regions. In all there are 31 pavilions. Although each pavilion is relatively small in size, all are elaborately designed with cultural and architectural qualities unique to each province. For example, the exterior of the Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
Pavilion resembles blocks of ice, alluding to the extremely cold environment of the province, while the Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
pavilion boldly emphasises silver head decorations, displaying special folk characteristics.
Denmark
The Denmark Pavilion designed by Bjarke Ingels GroupBjarke Ingels
Bjarke Ingels is a Danish architect. He heads the architectural practice Bjarke Ingels Group which he founded in 2006. In 2009 he co-founded the design consultancy KiBiSi...
showcased sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and energy solutions along with unique Danish architecture and design.
The pavilion's centerpiece was The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (statue)
The statue of The Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the harbour of the capital of Denmark. Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and a major tourist attraction....
, marking the first time that the iconic statue had left Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. The Little Mermaid was displayed in the center of an artificial pond within the pavilion. The original plans for the exhibit called for seawater from Copenhagen's harbor to be transported, but that idea was dropped because the water would be rotten when it reaches Shanghai. The intention of transporting the seawater with the statue had been intended to give a more authentic experience to spectators. The pavilion and Little Mermaid statue were unveiled on 25 April 2010, accompanied by a performance by singer Thomas Helmig
Thomas Helmig
Thomas Helmig is a Danish rock singer and musician, and has been one of the most popular singers in Denmark since the middle of the 1980s.-Biography:...
, who performed a song called Swim, written expressly for the statue's debut. Denmark's Tax Minister
Tax Minister of Denmark
Tax Minister of Denmark is the head of the Tax Ministry of Denmark, and a member of the Cabinet. As the head of the Tax Ministry, the Danish Tax Minister is responsible for areas concerning taxes and tariffs, as well as labour marked funds...
Troels Lund Poulsen
Troels Lund Poulsen
Troels Lund Poulsen is a Danish politician and has been Minister for Education of Denmark. Prior to that, he became Minister for the Environment following the 2007 Danish parliamentary election. He is member of the parliament for the party Venstre...
also delivered a speech to mark the opening of the pavilion. According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth visitor on September 12, 2010.
On October 30, 2010, Denmark Pavilion welcomed its 5.55 millionth visitor – the population size of Denmark.
Finland
The original name of Finland Pavilion was Kirnu – a Giant's kettle. The pavilion was a feat of Finnish design and showcased Finnish nature and society. Finland wanted to build the Finnish pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO 2010 as ecologically as possible. The main planning work for the pavilion was done in Finland, while the Chinese handled the construction in Shanghai. The pavilion featured a large video installation (70 meters × 7½ meters) designed by artist Jaana Partanen and architect Heikki Lamusuo as well as a unique elevator named 'Lantern', specially designed by KONEKONE
Kone Oyj , founded in 1910 and headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is an international engineering and service company employing some 32,500 personnel worldwide. The firm is the fourth largest manufacturer of elevators worldwide, a leading manufacturer of escalators, and also provides maintenance...
France
The France Pavilion featured six paintings and one sculpture on loan from the Musée d'OrsayMusée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
. The paintings included works by Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
, Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France...
, Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, and Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
, while the sculpture was Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
's The Age of Bronze
The Age of Bronze
The Age of Bronze is a bronze statue by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The figure is of a life-size nude male. When first exhibited at the 1877 Salon in Paris, Rodin was falsely accused of having made the statue by casting a living model, a charge that was vigorously denied. This charge...
'.
The Age of Bronze had previously been displayed at the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from 6 May to 31 October 1889.It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event traditionally considered as the symbol for the beginning of the French Revolution...
in 1889 and the 1900 Paris Expo
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
. The Angélus, by Jean-François Millet, was also shown at the 1867 Expo in Paris
Exposition Universelle (1867)
The Exposition Universelle of 1867 was a World Exposition held in Paris, France, in 1867.-Conception:In 1864, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was appointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as president, under whose direction...
.
The French pavilion won 3rd prize for best development of theme in the pavilion A category during the expo.
Germany
The 6000 m², Germany Pavilion was located in Zone C of the expo. The pavilion was themed "Balancity" – a portmanteau word from balance and city – representing a balance between modernization and preservation.The centerpiece of the pavilion is a massive LED swinging ball that interacted in turn with the volume of the audience.
The pavilion won first prize for the best theme development of Expo 2010 for class A pavilions
Greece
Due to the financial crisis, the budget for the Greece Pavilion was cut short by 40%. . The exhibition featured the countries' main highlights, including its OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
tradition, in the hope of attracting Chinese tourists to visit Greece. By presenting the 24 hours of a day, the Greek Pavilion hoped to give visitors an experience of Greek night life in addition to the exhibits.
Hong Kong
The 2,000 m² Hong Kong Pavilion featured an indoor recreation of the Hong Kong Wetland ParkHong Kong Wetland Park
Hong Kong Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai New Town development....
. The main theme of the Pavilion was "Hong Kong – A City with Unlimited Potential".
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 1 millionth visitor on July 31, 2010 and its 2 millionth visitor on August 17, 2010.
Hungary
The Hungary Pavilion had a remarkable interior ceiling, consisting of about 1000 wooden bars hanging loosely from the ceiling, some 600 among them going up and down moved by small motors. The pavilion was decorated by natural materials: wood, pebble stone floor, surrounded by a water curtain – representing green living in the city. The pavilion's center exhibition item was a GömböcGömböc
A gömböc is a convex three-dimensional homogeneous body which, when resting on a flat surface, has just one stable and one unstable point of equilibrium. Its existence was conjectured by Russian mathematician Vladimir Arnold in 1995 and proven in 2006 by Hungarian scientists Gábor Domokos and Péter...
, a Hungarian invention by two mathematicians. Gomboc is a homogeneous object with the same self-righting feature as roly-poly. Gomboc symbolizes the creative and innovative spirit of the Hungarians, and also the philosophical aspect of mankind striving for harmony and balanced life.
On August 8, 2010, the pavilion welcomed its 3,333,333rd visitor – a third of Hungary's population. By the end of the expo, the Hungarian Pavilion received a total number of 5,785,400 million visitors. The Pavilion won Silver Prize in pavilion design of Category C.
Iceland
The Iceland Pavilion was built in the form of a cube and the outside covered with a blue and white photo of ice. The interior of the pavilion featured videos projected onto the walls and ceiling which depicted Icelandic nature, geysers, volcanoes, a lagoon, and the night skyline of ReykjavíkReykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland's capital.
India
The 4,000 m² India Pavilion showcased the world's largest bamboo dome inspired by the Sanchi Stupa, an ancient Buddhist monument built between 321-187 BC by AshokaAshoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
. The main theme was "Cities of Harmony", reflecting the country's wide range of ethnic groups, religions, and languages
Languages of India
The languages of India belong to several language families, the major ones being the Indo-European languages—Indo-Aryan and the Dravidian languages...
. The pavilion has a crimson central dome, while the focus of the exhibit was on the interaction between rural and urban areas through exchange of goods and services. Revolving around a journey of Indian cities from ancient times through medieval periods to modern India, the pavilion showcased India's rich cultural heritage, its faith, culture and language diversity, traditional and modern technological development, and urban-rural interface.
Pavilion Highlights:
- Tree of Life: The entrance to the pavilion was through a vaulted portal with the "Tree of Life" carving inspired by the Sidi Saiyyed MosqueSidi Saiyyed MosqueThe Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, built in 1573, is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad. As attested by the marble stone tablet fixed on the wall of the mosque, it was built by Sidi Saeed an Abyssinian in the retinue of Bilal Jhajar Khan, general in the army of the last Sultan Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar...
at AhmedabadAhmedabadAhmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
. The central dome was herb-roofed with the "Tree of Life" in copper. The innovative combination of plants and metals distinguished the dome. - Zero-chemical Area: The seemingly ancient India Pavilion was replete with marvelous modern technologies. The pavilion was designed as a zero-chemical Area. Energy efficiency was made possible through the use of solar panels, wind mills, herbs, and bamboo. The terracotta and stone floor was inspired by the palace at Rampur in Varanasi and was cooled by embedded pipes, so that visitors would be touring around the pavilion in a cool and comfortable temperature even in the summer.
- Indian Market: The "Indian Market" was open for curious visitors. In fact, the attic in this market belonged to one of the exhibition areas of the India Pavilion, from which one could get a bird's-eye view of the whole pavilion. The market was also a catering service area where traditional food from India was served.
- 360-degree Holographic Projection: Depicted India's evolution from the ancient times of Mohenjodaro and HarappaHarappaHarappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...
(dating back to 2000–3000 BC) through the medieval period to modern India. The displayed around the dome elaborated on the theme "Cities of Harmony". - Shopping Arcade and Amphitheater: The Shopping Arcade in the pavilion enabled visitors to see the artisans from different parts of the country demonstrating their skills. Also, specialized products from different regions were available for sale. The Shopping Arcade also displayed typical Indian columns in its arcade structure. The Amphitheater hosted cultural shows from different regions of India on a regular basis.
Indonesia
The 4,000 m² Indonesia Pavilion was themed "Biodiverse City". Dubbed as Indonesia IS, the Indonesia Pavilion was inspired by commonalities of Indonesia's diverse traditional houses - bamboo, stiltsStilts
Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height...
, open plan, and oneness
Oneness
Oneness may refer to:* Divine simplicity, the belief that God is without parts* Oneness , a 1979 rock album* Oneness , a mathematical concept* Oneness , a concept in philosophy...
with nature. It was described as a world of continuity, of being in harmony with each other and nature.
The exterior of the pavilion was covered with green bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
sticks with bamboo growing from the pavilion's ceiling. Bamboo has long been favored as a construction material due to its strong characteristics. The use of bamboo for the Indonesia Pavilion symbolized the synergy between the traditional and contemporary lifestyles of Indonesia, and represented Indonesia's endurance, humility and adaptability in embracing change.
The pavilion was divided into three zones: Bio Zone, Diverse Zone, and City Zone. The building also featured an indoor waterfall, Bio Tunnel, Music Tunnel, 680 m² Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues...
Megawall, collection of 2,200 narrative exhibits, indoor screening room, amphitheater, dining area, and coffee corner.
The mascots of the pavilion were Pongo the orang utan and Koko the Komodo dragon
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
.
The total cost of the Indonesian Pavilion is estimated to have been IDR 200 billion or approx USD 23 million.
The Indonesia Pavilion welcomed its 8 millionth visitor on October 29, 2010. It was the 10 most visited Pavilion and received Bronze Medal in Creative Display category at the Pavilion Award.
Iran
The Iran pavilion’s official theme was “Blending of Diverse Cultures in the City” and highlighted traditional Islamic architecture and the colorful culture that can be found in Iranian cities. The pavilion appeared in three parts that focused on the past, present and future of Iranian excellence. A map on the front of the building focused on the ancient silk road that used to stretch across Asia, which could be seen whilst waiting to enter the pavilion. Upon entering the pavilion the visitor could see replicas of colorful Islamic tile work, and beyond a giant quarter sphere in the center of a great room that symbolizes Iran as one of the four great human populations. There were some antiques and cultural relics scattered around and a loft upstairs where rugs and sewn handicrafts were for sale. Looking forward, Iran had several displays that highlighted their ability to drill for oil and other energy resources. There was also a laser harp that could be played by visitors.Ireland
The 1,500 m² Ireland Pavilion was themed "Urban Space and the Evolution of Urban Life Style". The pavilion's theme symbolized the relationship between urban and nature. The exhibition inside sets the creativity of the Irish, their ancient history, vibrant modern culture, educational traditions, and technical innovations into the context of a small, but varied and beautiful island.Israel
The 2,000 m² Israel Pavilion was composed of two streamlined buildings, looking like two clasped hands. One side of the pavilion was made of authentic stone while the other is made from transparent glass. The design symbolized Israeli innovation and technology as well as the connection between humanity and nature. The pavilion highlighted both modern and ancient Jewish culture. It consisted of three areas: the Whispering Garden, the Hall of Light, and the Hall of Innovations. The Whispering Garden was an orchard that greeted visitors as they entered the building. Next, inside the natural stone, was the Hall of Innovations, symbolizing links with the earth and history, and the recycling of natural resources. Under the transparent glass was the Hall of Light, symbolizing technology, transparency, lightness, and the future.Pavilion Highlights:
- Green Orchard: A green orchard visible as visitors entered the pavilion. About 50 orange trees were planted, and technology made the trees "whisper" in English and Chinese when visitors walked close to them. Everyone was expected to be in direct touch with nature and the irrigation technology that the Israelis take pride in.
- Innovation: The Hall of Light featured a 15-meter screen that showed films highlighting the country's innovations and technological achievements. As the centerpiece of the pavilion, the Hall of Innovations presented an audiovisual show which allowed visitors to hear from Israeli children, scientists, doctors, and inventors via hundreds of screens. Each light sphere represented innovation and technical breakthroughs in such fields as agriculture, food, pharmacology, solar and green energy, science, music, literature, high-tech, telecommunication, and security.
- Capsule: Highlights included a capsule containing a mini-camera that can be swallowed for internal medical checks (the camera can then be discharged naturally and not cause any pain for the patient). It was displayed at the Hall of innovations.
Italy
The Italy Pavilion, dubbed "The City of Man," was composed of 20 functional modules that can be assembled freely.Its design was inspired by the game of Mikado
Mikado (game)
Mikado is a pick-up sticks game originating in Europe. In 1936 it was brought from Hungary to the USA and was mostly called pick-up sticks. This term is not very specific in respect to existing stick game variations. Probably the "Mikado" name was not used because it was a brand name of a game...
, which is called "Shanghai" in Italy and pick-up sticks
Pick-up sticks
Pick-up sticks is a game of physical and mental skill. A bundle of 'sticks,' approximately 6-8 inches long, are held in a loose bunch and released on a table top, falling in random disarray. Each player, in turn, must remove a stick from the pile without disturbing the remaining ones...
elsewhere. In said game, children drop a batch of 20 to 30 sticks on a table and try to move one stick at a time without moving the others until all the sticks are cleared.
The final project was selected from a field of 65 candidates in a competition among European Union entries, said Beniamino Quintieri, the commissioner general for Italy. The 20 modules represent the 20 regions of Italy
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
, making the whole pavilion embody a mini Italian city.
The building's design also represented the harmony of different cultures and regions. When people walked in the pavilion, they were to feel themselves as walking in a city that combines Shanghai's Shikumen
Shikumen
Shikumen , literally "stone gate", is an architectural style for residential buildings in Shanghai, China combining Western and Chinese elements that first appeared in the 1860s...
-style lanes and an Italian square.
Italy reserved a 6,000 m² plot of land for its pavilion. The edifice was made with cutting edge transparent cement which constitutes the 3,774 blocks of transparent concrete covering the building. Italcementi Group
Italcementi
Italcementi is an Italian multinational company, quoted on the Borsa Italiana, which produces cement, ready-mix concrete and construction aggregates...
, an Italy-based cement maker, developed the transparent cement employed to build the pavilion. Although the Italian group has not fully disclosed what was put into the mixture to make the cement, they said it contains transparent thermoplastic resin and inorganic materials such as alumina which can become solid without the use of water. Each block was able to transmit 20% of the light passing through.
Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of World Expo Shanghai Coordination, said that since Milan won the bid to host World Expo 2015
Expo 2015
Expo 2015 is the next scheduled Universal Exposition after Expo 2010, and will be hosted by Milan, Italy. On November 23, 2010, the event was officially announced by the Bureau of International Expositions, after that the BIE assembly in Paris had decided in favour of the Milanese candidature on...
, Italy was more than just a participant at Shanghai Expo. He said that China and Italy were the hosts of "sister Expos" and would have many chances to share valuable experience.
According to designer Giampaolo Imbrighi the Italian pavilion had these fundamental characteristics:
- image' - first and foremost seen as a window of Italian excellence as regards the quality of city life;
- functionality - able to host and help a large number of visitors and even more, astonish them during the six months that EXPO was open;
- the search for architectonic quality - referred to the dual concept tradition/innovation of the materials used for the project which are bioclimatic and eco-compatible.
The spatial atmosphere of the building was brought about by:
- regionalism - combining the variety of customs and uses of both the Chinese and Italian populations in a single national reality of great tradition;
- the urban shape - the building was constructed in such a way that it shows roads and alleys which open onto a square represented by a central court. This was the heart of the Pavilion where you could find integration and exchange with city life.
Japan
Tbe Japan Pavilion, nicknamed the "Purple Silkworm Island," resembled a living, breathing organism. Under the theme "Harmony of the Hearts, Harmony of the Skills," the Japan Pavilion was separated into three separate sections: The exhibition area, the pre-show, and the main show.Latvia
The Latvia Pavilion was themed as "Innovation city of science and technology". The philosophy and message imparted through the pavilion was "The road to happiness leads to harmony between nature and technology." The AerodiumAerodium Latvia
Aerodium Latvia is a company based in Sigulda, Latvia, which owns and runs the first vertical wind tunnel in Eastern Europe. The vertical wind tunnel is located near Sigulda, the most visited tourist area in Latvia...
wind tunnel
Vertical wind tunnel
A vertical wind tunnel is a wind tunnel which moves air up in a vertical column. It is a recreational wind tunnel, frequently advertised as "indoor skydiving" or "bodyflight". It is also a popular training tool for skydivers....
was the centrepiece of the pavilion. Through the latest technological advances, the wind tunnel allows visitors to fly in both a figurative and literal sense. The flight is said to embody the harmony, happiness, and creative energy that people have always pursued.
Lithuania
On July 31, 2010 the Lithuania Pavilion has received its 3 millionth visitor according to the official site.Macau
The MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
Pavilion has the shape of a rabbit paper lantern
Paper lantern
Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper.-In Asian...
, resembling traits of a multicultural city. Inside the pavilion, there were about 120 projectors for the main exhibition.
Malaysia
Rumah Gadang
Rumah gadang - or more correctly called by Minangkabau people rumah bagonjong - are the traditional homes of the Minangkabau. The architecture, construction, internal and external decoration, and the functions of the house reflect the culture and values of the Minangkabau...
" architecture. The roof design with a myriad of colours showcasing the Malaysian "Batik
Batik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
" design. The building will comprise two streamlined high slopes with a cross on top, the symbol of Malaysian architecture. The facade of the pavilion will be made from a combination of recyclable materials of palm oil and plastic. The design of the Malaysia Pavilion is derived from the unique architectural style of the Rumah Negeri Sembilan (Negeri Sembilan house), distinguished by their horn-shaped roofs too.
After the Expo, the pavilion was to be donated to the cityy of Wuxi
Wuxi
Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...
in the People's Republic of China.
Malta
The Malta Pavilion called "Malta: 8000 Years - A Life Center" was located within Zone C of the Expo Site. It featured different exhibition sections, connected by high-tech facilities such as intelligent lighting and audio-visualAudio-visual
The term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
systems. Movable booths, various sculptures, giant rocks, and the evolution of historical cities were exhibited with sophisticated audio-visual technologies to showcase the complexity, uniqueness, and development trends within Malta's modern cities.
Mexico
With an area of 4,000 m² and the theme "Living Better", the Mexico Pavilion was located in Zone C, nearby several other American pavilions. The physical space divided into three levels represented three different moments of the country's cities. The past in the basement of the pavilion, present-day Mexico at the access level and the future on the platform of the slope. A plaza was the centerpiece of the Mexican pavilion, and a representation of a kite forest and a proposal for the future. The natural grass showed the concern for the recovery of green areas in cities.According to the official site, the Mexico pavilion welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on August 12, 2010 .
Myanmar
The theme of the MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
Pavilion was "Better Urbanization with Harmonized Eco-System". The pavilion-style entrance, magnificent wall, and the bridge represented the distinct Southeast Asian flavor and architectural charm of Myanmar. Featuring holy temples and traditional buildings, the pavilion adopted advanced display methods to introduce local customs, rich resources, and brilliant culture of Myanmar. The pavilion was located in zone A of the Expo.
Nepal
The Nepal Pavilion was a replica of Kathmandu, with PagodaPagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
styled buildings in the expo. Through the Expo, Nepal planned to attract foreigners to Nepal in the year 2011 as part of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011
Nepal Tourism Year 2011
Nepal is celebrating Nepal Tourism Year 2011 throughout the year 2011. This announcement anticipates at least one million international tourists in Nepal in the year 2011.-History:...
campaign.
With the theme "Tales of Kathmandu City", the pavilion captured important historic moments of the city. The pavilion displayed the luster of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal and an architectural, artistic, and cultural center that has developed over 2,000 years.
The theme touched upon the soul of a city by exploring its past and future. Another highlight of the pavilion was Nepal's efforts in environmental protection and developing renewable energies. The pavilion was in the form of an ancient Buddhist temple in Kathmandu, surrounded by traditional Nepalese houses.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands Pavilion, called Happy Street, was built in the form of an 8 (a Chinese magic number, meaning "wealth") and represented a number of typical Dutch houses (28). The houses are not only traditional Dutch canal houseCanal house
A canal house is a house overseeing a canal. These houses are often slim, high and deep. Because of the danger of flooding the front door is sometimes higher up and only reachable via stairs. The floor of the main storey lies about seven to nine steps above street level...
s, but also represented some of the architectural highlights of the country. The VIP room was built in the form of a crown, which gave the structure its nickname.
The building was designed by John Körmeling. It was formally opened by prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
. The pavilion's themes were water management
Water management
Water management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. In an ideal world. water management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands...
, innovation, and architecture. The exhibition showed a hair of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
. The catering which was performed by Maison van den Boer (By Appointment to the Court of the Netherlands)
included Dutch specialties that have been adjusted to the Chinese taste, like croquettes made with Peking duck
Peking Duck
Peking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's national foods....
.
A separate Water Pavilion of the city of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
showed a spectacular water printer. The venue management of both the Netherlands and the Rotterdam WaterCity Pavilion was performed by De Vries + Partners / DVP China Eventmarketing.
On October 3, 2010, the 'Happy Street' welcomed its 7th million visitor, which was 10% of the total visitors of the Expo 2010
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
, and above the 5 to 10% goal of the Dutch stand. Its record breaking day was achieved on Saturday October 16, with 80,000 visitors on one day, which was the same day of the record high of 1 million people visiting that Expo on one day. On Thursday the 21st of October 'Happy Street' officially welcomed its 8th million visitor.
The Dutch stand won 'the Golden Eye 2010 award' for 'best design of the year', granted by the Dutch Design Awards
Dutch Design Awards
The Dutch Design Awards are a series of awards to honor Dutch designers. The awards are handed out during the annual Dutch Design Week in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. A year book and exhibition of the nominated designs are also presented as part of the event...
.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Pavilion, nicknamed the Kiwi pavilion was guarded by a large steel and rubber 12-meter high native PohutukawaPohutukawa
The Pōhutukawa is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red flowers made up of a mass of stamens. The Pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand...
Tree. Because New Zealand is the world's first developed nation to sign a Free Trade Agreement with China, the pavilion was located near the China Pavilion
China pavilion at Expo 2010
The China pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, colloquially known as the Oriental Crown , was the largest national pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and the largest display in the history of the World Expo. It was also the most expensive pavilion at the Shanghai Expo costing an estimated US$220...
.
The theme Cities of Nature: Living between land and Sky followed the history of New Zealand
History of New Zealand
The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture centred on kinship links and land. The first European explorer to discover New Zealand was Abel Janszoon Tasman on 13 December 1642...
mixed with nature, modern living, economics, and technology and how it could make for a sustainable and a creative future. The pavilion's roof was landscaped with real native flora of New Zealand
Flora of New Zealand
This article relates to the flora of New Zealand, especially indigenous strains. New Zealand's geographical isolation has meant the country has developed a unique variety of native flora...
including a bubbling mud pool and a beautiful coastline. This rooftop garden was divided into four parts: Tropical Land, Farmland, Gondwanaland (pre-historic land), and a Thermal Wonderland which displayed active geysers, sulphur craters, and an active volcano. In addition, part of the rooftop acted as a sheltered viewing platform overlooking the forecourt below which, during the expo, hosted various displays and live performances.
A newly carved giant Waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
(Māori canoe) was also to be on show during the expo, and was expected to then be gifted to the people of China.
Another feature was a 1.8-tonne Greenstone (Pounamu/Jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
) boulder which further symbolised the connection between China and New Zealand, as the rock is significant to both peoples.
The pavilion's interior took visitors on a hi-tech journey through time from New Zealand's earliest beginning to what it has achieved today.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The North Korea Pavilion was the first exhibition from North Korea at any Expo. The pavilion contained a large exhibition hall including a sky-line view of PyongyangPyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, a small replica of Juche Tower
Juche Tower
The Juche Tower is a monument in Pyongyang, North Korea. The tower is named after the principle of Juche, developed by Kim Il Sung as a blend of autarky, self-reliance, nationalism, isolationism, Korean traditionalism, and Marxism-Leninism.Completed in 1982, it is sited on the eastern bank of the...
, cultural and contemporary displays, and a souvenir counter. The souvenirs included works by Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
and a selection of North Korean music DVDs, some of which are also projected in the pavilion.
Nigeria
The Nigeria Pavilion with a theme of Our Cities: Harmony in Diversity was in zone C, opposite to the joint Africa pavilion. Its exterior walls displayed a simulated Zuma RockZuma Rock
Zuma Rock is a large monolith located in Niger State, Nigeria. It is just north of Nigeria's capital Abuja, along the main road from Abuja to Kaduna, and is sometimes referred to as "Gateway to Abuja." It is depicted on the 100 naira bill. Zuma Rock is 725 meters above its surroundings.- External...
and showed the colors of the Nigerian flag (
).Norway
The Norway Pavilion was constructed around 15 model trees made from Norway's pine trees and Chinese bamboo. The theme for the Norwegian pavilion was "Norway, powered by nature".Oman
The Oman Pavilion showcased the country's seafaring and architectural heritage. The front half of the pavilion resembled one of Oman's forts, such as those found in SoharSohar
Sohar is the most developed city in Sultanate of Oman outside the capital Muscat. It is about 200 kilometers north of Muscat. Sohar was an ancient capital of Oman and many believe it to be the birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor...
and Nizwa
Nizwa
-Attractions:The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort, the traditional Souq and Falaj Daris. In the 1990s, the Jama, the fort and the souq which sit next to each other in the centre were renovated using the same traditional materials...
, which was attached to the front of a traditional Omani ship.
Pacific Pavilion
The PacificPacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
Pavilion, which was the third largest national pavilion after China and the combined Africa pavilions, housed the stands and exhibitions of fifteen Pacific Island nations and French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
. Countries participating in the pavilion included the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
was also represented with its own exhibition stand. Additionally, The Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation
South Pacific Tourism Organisation
south-pacific.travel is the mandated inter-governmental body for the tourism sector in the South Pacific. It markets, promotes and develops Tourism in the South Pacific in overseas markets...
exhibited within the pavilion. The Pacific Pavilion was located near the entrance to the Expo, adjacent to the China pavilion.
Each country within the Pacific Pavilion was assigned its own exhibition stand, which are all shaped like a vaka sail
Vaka (sailing)
The vaka is the main hull of a multihull vessel.-Origin and use of the term:The term vaka is used in the Polynesian, Malay and Micronesian languages for a 'canoe', 'ship' or 'boat.' Other parts of a traditional vaka can include the aka and ama .A proa consists of a vaka, the main canoe-like...
, though each nation was responsible for its own design. Much of the materials for the exhibits arrived in early April. The interior of the pavilion featured mobile
Mobile (sculpture)
A mobile is a type of kinetic sculpture constructed to take advantage of the principle of equilibrium. It consists of a number of rods, from which weighted objects or further rods hang. The objects hanging from the rods balance each other, so that the rods remain more or less horizontal...
s depicting postage stamps from each country. The pavilion was decorated throughout with exotic furniture from Fijian company Pacific Green
Pacific Green
Pacific Green Industries Limited is a Fijian manufacturer of furniture and architectural products. It is most recognised for its Pacific Green brand furniture and its development of Palmwood, a sustainable substitute for tropical hardwood. Pacific Green is distributed...
. Large banners, designed by signage and art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
Roger Huggett, were hung from the pavilion's entrance, displaying welcome signs written in various Pacific languages.
A soft opening, held before the official May 1 opening date, attracted 69,811 visitors to the Pacific Pavilion, despite the fact that only the French Polynesian booth was completed at the time.
Cook Islands
The Cook IslandsCook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
exhibition was located within the Pacific Pavilion. The Chinese government covered the total $650,000 cost of the exhibit and travel expenses. The Cook Islands' stand, which included 324 square meters of exhibition space, was designed by Woods Creative of New Zealand. The stand, which was staffed by Chinese volunteers and Cook Islander expatriates living in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, showed Cook Islander culture and local brands, such as Avaiki Cook Islands pearls.
Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands exhibition, located in the Pacific Pavilion, exhibited more than four hundred cultural pieces, including art and handicrafts. The stand, which was chaired by Michael Tokuru, the general managerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau, will also promote tourism, trade, and products produced in the Solomons. A giant carved nguzunguzu was positioned in front of the Solomon Islands booth to as a centerpiece of the attraction.
Pakistan
The Pakistan Pavilion was themed harmony in diversity. The pavilion was shortlisted as one of the five most imaginative themes that engaged well with the overall theme of the Expo. It displayed various facets of urban living in the country in terms of the tradition, culture, modernity, and history. Located next to the Chinese pavilion, the two story exhibition was spread over an area of 2,000 square meters. The pavilion was built through a public-private partnership at a total cost of $6.8 million. The pavilion takes a realistic historical view of its theme. The façade boasted a replica of Alamgiri GateAlamgiri Gate
The Alamgiri Gate , built in 1673 A.D., is the main entrance to the Lahore Fort in present day Lahore, Pakistan. It was constructed to face west towards the Badshahi Mosque in the days of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb...
of the Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...
. The gatekeeper
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper or gatekeeping may refer to:* Gatekeeper , a professional boxer who is considered a test for aspiring boxers* Gatekeeping , a person or organization who manages or constrains a flow of knowledge...
in traditional dress with frill turban attracted immediate attention. The interior offered glimpses of a former royal garden. Other features inside the pavilion gave visitors an understanding of the urban life in Pakistan through a range of visual aspects and multimedia presentations.
The three major highlights of the pavilion included:
- CultureCulture of PakistanThe society and culture of Pakistan comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic, Wakhi and Burusho communities in the north...
, HistoryHistory of PakistanThe 1st known inhabitants of the modern-day Pakistan region are believed to have been the Soanian , who settled in the Soan Valley and Riwat almost 2 million years ago. Over the next several thousand years, the region would develop into various civilizations like Mehrgarh and the Indus Valley...
, and DiversityDemographics of PakistanThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Pakistan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
: The history of the country since the times of the Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley CivilizationThe Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
through GandharaGandharaGandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
era, and the independencePakistan MovementThe Pakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan refers to the historical movement to have an independent Muslim state named Pakistan created from the separation of the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, partitioned within or outside the British Indian Empire. It had its origins in the...
from British RajBritish RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. The model area exhibited a sculpture of BuddhaGautama BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, Minar-e-PakistanMinar-e-PakistanMinar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed...
, The Pakistan National Monument, and other monuments backed with audio-visual commentary. - China-Pakistan Friendship: The diversity of cultures, especially from the areas bordering with China. A 50-seat theater showcased the culture, natural scenery, and the oldest group game in the world, PoloPoloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
. - Dances and Cuisines: There was an equal focus on the interaction between ancient customs and modern traditions. The pavilion hosted popular urban cuisines from across the country with dances that are symbolic of its provinces.
Philippines
Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
architect Ed Calma's architectural firm designed the building. A montage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of giant hands, representing both well-known and ordinary Filipinos, featured across the pavilion's facade. The hands ware meant "to emphasize the human dimension in urbanization, and to assert the Filipino's genius at (hand) crafting vital relationships through work, art, and play." The interior of the pavilion featured exhibitions, videos, performances showcasing the Philippines' best cities, based on standards used by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. The Filipino cities that featured at the Expo were Calbayog, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
, Iloilo City
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
, Naga City
Naga City
The City of Naga is a first class independent component city in the Philippines...
, Makati, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Malaybalay, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando City, La Union
San Fernando City, La Union
The City of San Fernando in La Union is a 1st class component city in the Philippines. It is the capital city of La Union and the regional center of the Ilocos Region...
, and Taguig. Other exhibits included concerts, a boutique, and a cafe.
The pavilion featured daily performances by Filipino artists and entertainers, including the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is the nation's leading symphony orchestra and a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines , located on Manila's shoreline...
, Ballet Philippines
Ballet Philippines
Ballet Philippines synthesizes diverse dance and movement forms, from classical ballet to avant-garde choreographies, from traditional to modern dance, from martial arts to aerial movements, into distinctively Filipino contemporary expressions....
, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, pianist Cecille Licad, Joanna Go, Rachelle Gerodiea, and the group Kontra Gapi.
The estimated cost of the Philippines' participation in the Expo was . Half of the expenses covered by Filipino-Chinese chambers of commerce and half by corporate sponsors. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
was expected to attend the Philippine Independence Day
Independence Day (Philippines)
In the Philippines, Independence Day is an annual national holiday observed on June 12, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. It is the National Day of the Philippines....
celebrations at the pavilion on June 9, a few days before the actual holiday, in what may be her last official foreign trip before leaving office later that month.
Poland
The Poland Pavilion was opened on 1 May 2010 during a festive ceremony in the exhibition area of EXPO 2010 Shanghai. The design of the pavilion was created by Marcin Mostafa and Natalia Paszkowska of WWA Architects. The basic motif of the pavilion's construction was the national folk-art paper cut-out form known as wycinankiWycinanki
Wycinanki is a Polish version of the art form of papercutting.Wycinanki originated with shepherds cutting designs out of tree bark and leather. Paper wycinanki dates from the mid-nineteenth century. Colorful wycinanki were pasted on furniture or roof beams as decoration, hung in windows, and...
. The designers of this project wanted to translate folk patterns into the contemporary language of architectural form.
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 5 millionth visitor on August 27, 2010.
Portugal
The Portugal Pavilion had an academic section on the ancient (trade) history and links between Portugal and China.Romania
Russia
The Russia Pavilion is the first exhibition Russia constructed at an expo in 30 years. It was one of the pavilions visited by President Hu JintaoHu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
when at the Expo.
The pavilion towers symbolized rapidly growing megalopolises with skyscrapers of a nonlinear architecture. The white-gold color of the towers resembled historical images of Russian architecture while the perforation of the upper tower parts was created based upon ethnic ornaments of the peoples who populate Russia.
The pavilion plan, similar to the outlay of a Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
settlement, symbolized "the flower of life" or the sun, roots of "the world tree" (a spreading oak among the Slavs) where "the life heavens" lie. The towers "roots" were oriented to the center of the composition and support "the civilization cube" connected with a symbol "man".
The elements of the cube's external decoration could move and that organizes huge surfaces of "the living facade" which by reflecting the sky, the towers, greenery and people created image of a giant living being at daytime. At night with the help of special lighting an even more stunning effect of the changing light-color-dynamic screen was created.
The narrative demonstration slogan represented in the Russian pavilion was: better city is the city of a dream, happiness, a good place for children to live in. Original children's ideas, youth projects and inventions will let dip into the future. As today's children are those who will live on the Earth tomorrow, they will build new cities, make scientific discoveries and implement them in life
Saudi Arabia
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
.
The centerpiece of the Saudi Arabia pavilion featured a huge hanging boat shaped like a half moon. Date palms were planted on the top deck of the "moon boat", creating a hanging garden, and thus epitomizing oases in the desert. Visitors were welcomed to the pavilion in both modern, as well as traditional, Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
tents set among date palm trees. The Saudi government imported the date palms and a full mosque for the expo. A large screen, estimated to be the size of a soccer field, projected images of King Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
.
China is Saudi Arabia's fastest growing trading partner. A large stage within the pavilion was used to unveil joint Saudi-Chinese business deals, including a new railway between the cities of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, which will be constructed by a Chinese firm.
According to the official site, the pavilion welcomed its 2 millionth visitor on August 1, 2010.
Serbia
The Serbia Pavilion was located in so-called European Square, in the west side of zone C.. It has 1,000 m². The exhibition theme was City Code. The pavilion was opened by the Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk JeremićVuk Jeremic
Vuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...
. The pavilion was built in the process of weaving, merging and matching modular parts that represent the Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
rug theme. Modules were made of metal, plastic and porcelain affixed upon networks of wedges and cables. Serbian National Day is June 27 when the pavilion hosted Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković
Mirko Cvetkovic
Mirko Cvetković is a Serbian economist and the Prime Minister of Serbia as well as the Minister of Finance.-Biography:...
, an investment forum and many cultural events including series of concerts by Slobodan Trkulja and his band Balkanopolis. The Serbian pavilion also featured a visit by actor Bata Živojinović
Bata Živojinovic
Velimir "Bata" Živojinović is a Serbian actor and politician.-Biography:Živojinović was born in the town of Koraćica, Mladenovac, Serbia , under the Kosmaj mountain...
.
Singapore
The music-box-like Singapore Pavilion was a two-story structure with an "Urban Symphony" theme. The theme was inspired by the harmony of unique elements in Singapore: progress and sustainability, urbanization and greenery, tradition and modernity, and a cosmopolitanWorld citizen
World citizen has a variety of similar meanings, often referring to a person who disapproves of traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship....
mix of residents of different races living peacefully together.
The two environmental aspects that Singapore has successfully tackled in balancing progress with sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
– water and garden – formed the softscape of the pavilion as its two design elements. The pavilion incorporated an orchestra of elements into its design – music fountains, an interplay of sounds and visuals, and roof garden flora, with the country's unique rhythm and melody.
Unique Design supported by four columns of different profiles, the entire structural system featured floors of different shapes and sizes, connected by ramps and stairs suspended from trusses to form a tensional balance, which symbolized a harmonious coexistence of people who live, work, and vacation in Singapore.
Architect :Natalia Micunovic, Chief Designer :Eric ZHONG, Exhibition Director :Shanfeng ZHONG, Creative Director :Zhidao LU, Plan Director :Vincent l.j. deng
Vincent l.j. deng
Vincent L.J. Deng ’s cultural practices encompass arts, new media and film. As an , he has been the exclusive assistant of of artist Cai Guoqiang,organized by Solomon R...
, Media Director :Bo WU.
There was a "Hanging Garden", a rooftop garden landscaped with exotic flora and music fountains. Here visitors received a first-hand feel of Singapore as a Garden City.
Slovakia
The Slovakia Pavilion welcomed its 2,713,323rd visitor on July 30, 2010, half of Slovakia's population.South Korea
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
and his wife opened the pavilion in Shanghai on May 1. Korea also had a separate corporate pavilion to showcase its wares to its largest trading partner, China.
The pavilion won second prize for category A pavilion design.
According to the official site, the Republic of Korea pavilion welcomed its 3,888,888th visitor on August 19, 2010 . The numbers three and eight symbolize blessing and good luck in Chinese culture, therefore the pavilion presented gifts to its 3,888,888th visitor.
Spain
Spain Pavilion was remarkable for its wickerWicker
Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
facade, designed by the Spanish architect studio EMBT Miralles-Tagliabue
Benedetta Tagliabue
Benedetta Tagliabue is an Italian architect. She lives and works in Barcelona.-Education:In 1989 she graduated in Venice from the "Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia" in Italy....
, it commemorates the resemblance in both textile cultural background of both Spain and China, wishing to unite the two cultural countries with a symbol with this wicker basket technique, the exterior undulate walls hides special meanings to Chinese characters embedded in the facade.
The pavilion comprised three exhibition halls designed by the UTE Empty- Noe Special Concept design. The three exhibition halls featured a movie by Bigas Luna
Bigas Luna
Juan José Bigas Luna is a Spanish film director. He began his professional career in the design world, creating the Estudio Gris with Carlos Riart in 1969. In his earlier exhibitions, at the beginning of the sixties, he showed a great interest in conceptual art and the emerging visual technologies...
in the first exhibition hall, a technological giant projection screen room in hall 2 and the future hall 3 with the giant baby by Spanish director Isabel Coixet
Isabel Coixet
Isabel Coixet is a Spanish film director.She received an M.A. in history from the University of Barcelona...
.
According to the official website, the Spain pavilion welcomed its 4 millionth visitor on August 10, 2010.
Sweden
The overall theme of the Swedish Pavilion was "The Spirit of Innovation". This theme was reflected in the architecture of the pavilion, the exhibition, and the activities hosted by the pavilion during the Expo. It was distinguished by a large outdoor atrium with a rooftop bar, and the exhibition focused on Sweden as a nation of problem solvers in the areas of urban environment and quality of life. The exhibition contained many interactive elements and outside hosted a popular slide.Taiwan
C. Y. Lee
C. Y. Lee is a Chinese architect based in Taiwan. Born in Guangdong, China. He received his bachelor's degree from National Cheng Kung University, and his master's degree from Princeton University...
, was designed to resemble a lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
and parts of Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
. In the center of the pavilion a gigantic round LED screen projected images of Taiwan and its culture.
Now that Expo 2010 has concluded, the pavilion will be disassembled and shipped to Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
, where it will become a permanent attraction.
Thailand
In front of the building was an "Intarachit" (Indrajit)
Indrajit
Indrajit or Meghanatha , a warrior mentioned in the Indian epic Ramayana, was the son of the Lankan king Ravana. The word 'Indrajit' literally means the 'conqueror of Indra '....
commonly seen guarding Thai temples and sacred areas in Thailand. The two statues represented the long-lasting relational bond between China and Thailand. The first part of the exhibition contains a miniature outdoor gallery, surrounded by water features and a traditional Naga fountain, the host sometimes will entertain waiting visitors by teaching simple Thai vocabulary
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
before entering the pavilion. The first chamber of the pavilion features a four-sided screen with rainwater features, where visitors could view videos of Thai culture. Below the screen was a water theme, featuring projected lotus ponds and other objects relating to the movie screened above, giving an impression of a "Thai" environment.
The second chamber projected a 360° clip, explaining Thai history and the four eras of prosperity, from the Sukhothai era
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...
, when King Ramkhamhaeng the Great invented the Thai alphabet
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
to the present Rattanakosin Kingdom. While traveling in time between eras, art designs of the specific era or "Lai Thai" (ลายไทย) can be seen decorated the plain pillars around to room.
The last assembly room included a 3D movie about tourism in Thailand, which featured Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Opened on December 9, 2005, it includes a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater and the Siam Ocean World...
, one of the largest shopping complexes in Southeast Asia, along with Siam Ocean World
Siam Ocean World
Siam Ocean World Bangkok is the largest aquarium in South East Asia. It covers approximately 10,000 square meters of space with hundreds of different species on display, and also contains water volume nearly 5 million litres....
, the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia. The pavilion also features Thai cuisine, provided by Thai Airways
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
, and a Souvenir Shop, tight-packed with delicate collectables. The exterior of the building was decorated with Thai decorations and traditional roofs and delicate designs.
Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste PavilionLospalos-style roof, carved wooden door, processed palm leaves and a dazzling array of handicrafts depict a unique look of Timor-Leste. With the help of lighting, the country's natural scenery, scenes of work and entertainment of its people are displayed, showing the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
Turkey
Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, which existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE...
, the center of advanced culture in the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period. The pavilion looked like a red and beige box with an animal sculpture.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates Pavilion, created by British architect Lord Norman FosterNorman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
, was designed to resemble a sand dune. The building, which was constructed of gold-colored glass, was curved to imitate the natural formations of the leeward and windward sides of the sand dunes found in the U.A.E. Foster's design also drew attention to the country's traditional Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
culture.
Now that Expo 2010 has concluded, the pavilion will be disassembled and shipped to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, where it will become a permanent attraction.
United Kingdom
The budget for the UK Pavilion was approximately £25m, with £2.5m provided by private sector sponsors and the rest by the UK Government. The pavilion was built with 60,000 translucent acrylic rods that produce effects when the wind blows and has been called the "Seed CathedralSeed Cathedral
The UK pavilion at Expo 2010, colloquially known as the Seed Cathedral, was a sculpture structure built by a nine member conglomeration of British business and government resources directed by designer Thomas Heatherwick...
" and nicknamed the "Dandelion". The pavilion won the title of Best Pavilion at the Expo.
United States
The USA Pavilion was one of the last of the 192 participating countries to sign-up for involvement with the Expo. As of August 31, 2010, the pavilion reported that attendance had surpassed 4.7 million and was averaging more than 41,000, people per day. On September 30, 2010 the pavilion welcomed its 6 millionth + visitor. Entertainment was provided at the US Pavilion on an ongoing basis with live performances by various US artists. The opening weeks of Expo 2010 included the Philadelphia OrchestraPhiladelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater is an American Jazz singer. She is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award - winning stage actress and host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater...
, and Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
.
The US Pavilion, with its theme of "Rising to the Challenge," was a gray steel structure designed to resemble an eagle with its wings outstretched to welcome pavilion visitors. The 60,000 sq. foot (5574 sq. meter) United States Pavilion, constructed largely from glass and steel, was designed by Canadian architect Clive Grout.
The US Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo is noted as the only national pavilion at the Expo and the only US Pavilion in recent history solely funded by the financial contributions of approximately 60 multinational corporations.
Venezuela
The 3,000 sq. meter (9,842 sq. foot) Venezuela Pavilion was in the geometric shape of a Klein bottleKlein bottle
In mathematics, the Klein bottle is a non-orientable surface, informally, a surface in which notions of left and right cannot be consistently defined. Other related non-orientable objects include the Möbius strip and the real projective plane. Whereas a Möbius strip is a surface with boundary, a...
. It was structured in the form of an "8" - a symbolic number both in China and Venezuela, with the eight stars of Bolivar recently incorporated into the Venezuelan flag. The pavilion depicted many traditional aspects of Venezuela's history and culture. There was one escalator, an auditorium, an open-air atrium with a small café offering fresh fruit juices and fried Venezuelan snacks.
Vietnam
- Within Zone A of the Expo Site.
- Theme: 1000-Year History of Hanoi.
- The facade of the 1,000-square-meter pavilion appears like a river and the bamboo surrounding it reduced the heat from the sun. The design highlighted Vietnamese culture. Visitors could learn about the country's profound history and culture as well as its wisdom in eco-protection and urban development.
Information and Communication Pavilion
The Information and Communication Pavilion, with its theme "Information and Communication - Extending City Dreams", was a corporate pavilion co-sponsored by China MobileChina Mobile
China Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
and China Telecom
China Telecom
China Telecom Corp. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company. It is the largest fixed line service and 3rd largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China.-Sectors:...
.
The 6,196-square-meter pavilion was designed so that hexagonal panels, which cover the building's entire exterior, continuously change colors and animate in various patterns. These panels were made of recyclable material and most of the construction materials used for the pavilion were environmentally friendly and intended to recyclable and reusable at the end of the Expo. In addition to its recyclable content, another sustainable feature of the Information and Communication Pavilion was the use of cold water from the Expo site to regulate the building's indoor temperature and reduce energy consumption and emissions.
The show aspects of the Information and Communication Pavilion were conceived and produced by designer Bob Rogers' Burbank, California based firm, BRC Imagination Arts. The firm, which was also responsible for the show aspects of the US Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, has an extensive history in Expo show designs, producing content for six world's fairs, including the film for the Vancouver Expo, "Rainbow War", which was nominated for an Academy Award ("Oscar").
Visitors to the Information and Communication Pavilion participated in its show elements with the use of mobile devices that enable each to interact with show content and show characters.
The interaction began before pavilion visitors enter the pavilion structure. Outside, in the pavilion's outdoor queue, referred to as the "Dream Garden", visitors waiting to enter the pavilion could use mobile phones to interact with the information and video streaming all around them. Once in the pavilion, visitors were given a personal interactive device carry with them to use in both the pre-show as well as in the main show portions of the pavilion experience. The pre-show film presented visitors with highlights of key moments and the historically important figures who led to advancements in communication technologies. In the main show, visitors used their personal interactive devices to further interact with the main show characters and events and record personal choices of ideas presented to them in the show. The interaction by the audience with the storylines of the show's key characters, and immersive theater and screen special effects, helped to relay the ideal that the capabilities of communications in our future society are limitless.
SAIC-GM Pavilion
SAIC and GMGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
jointly produced a pavilion spanning around 6,000 square meters about driving in 2030.
The pavilion featured futuristic demonstrations of highly mobile electric cars named EN-V. The New York Times notes, "The trio have separate personalities. Xiao ("laugh" in Chinese) by Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
in Australia is playful and lighthearted, a "gumball blue" cousin to Wall-E
WALL-E
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
, the film character. Miao (Magic) was designed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in California. Its LED accents applied to a dark form suggesting a large motorcycle helmet were inspired by consumer electronics. Jiao (Pride), by G.M. Europe designers, suggests Western admiration for China with a clean and bright look inspired by bullet trains and Chinese opera masks."
International organisations
International organisations were well represented at this expo, with almost 50 participants. Some had their own pavilions, and some were sharedRed Cross and Red Crescent
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent also had their pavilion in Zone B and on August 1 had welcomed over 500,000 visitors according to the official website.Joint pavilion of international organizations
This pavilion had stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Boao Forum for AsiaBoao Forum for Asia
The Boao Forum for Asia , abbreviated to BFA, is a non-profit organisation that hosts high-level forums for leaders from government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share their vision on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large. BFA is modelled...
, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Forum Francophone des Affaires, Global Environment Facility
Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility unites 182 member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues....
, International Association of Public Transport, International Council of Museums
International Council of Museums
The International Council of Museums is an international organization of museums and museum professionals that is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.- Overview :Created...
, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan is an independent intergovernmental organization established in 1997 to develop and promote innovative solutions to poverty and environmental sustainability using bamboo and rattan....
, League of Arab States (sometimes called Arab League), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, United Cities and Local Governments, World Water Council (WWC)
World Water Council
The World Water Council is an international think tank founded in 1996, with its headquarters in Marseilles, France. It has 323 members from the private sector , government ministries, academic institutions, international financial institutions , the UN...
and the World Wildlife Fund
Urban Best Practice Area pavilions
This was an area in Zone E in which cities presented themselves, many displayed in one of four joint pavilions, some in stand-alone pavilionsJoint Pavilions
Cities contributing in the joint pavilions included:- BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
(Spain) - The District of Innovation
- BremenBremenThe City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
(Germany) - From Knowledge to Innovation: Urban Transportation Solutions
- CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
(Egypt) - Integrated Model for Revitalization of Historical Cities
- DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(Germany) - Business Meets Lifestyle – Livable City and Sustainable Development as Strategic Goals and Achievements
- Hong Kong (China) - Smart Card, Smart City, Smart Life, whose pavilion showed the practical use of the Hong Kong octopus cardOctopus cardThe Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
, and placed it in historical context of contactless smart cards (it was first)
- LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
(UK) - Protection and Utilization of Historical Heritages in Liverpool. The Liverpool display had 3 sections: an auditorium where visitors viewed a 3D show; an event and exhibition area including games and a VIP area. For most of the expo a superlambanana was on display outside the pavilion, before being presented to Shanghai, and being replaced by table footballTable footballTable football, also known as gitoni or foosball, is a table-top game and sport that is loosely based on association football.-Names:...
- London (UK) - Zero Carbon Living ZedPavilion, A collaboration between UK Architect Bill DunsterBill DunsterWilliam Robert Dunster OBE is a British architect.-Early Life:Prior to forming Zedfactory, Dunster worked for Hopkins Architects for over 14 years specialising in low energy and sustainable development....
and University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. Low carbon urban design and sustainable technologies formed the basis for an exhibition, a series of 'show-houses' and a seminar series that showcased Sino-UK collaboration on everything from sustainable city healthcare to carbon capture and storage. The Pavilion itself was one of the cheapest to build on the Expo Park at GBP350k and is one of the few legacy buildings. More than 1M visitors were recorded by the ZedPavilion hosts.
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(Canada) - The Complexe Environnemental de Saint-Michel (CESM): A practicable example for the world showcased the transformation of Saint MichelSaint-Michel, MontrealSaint-Michel is a neighborhood in the Montreal borough ofVilleray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Its boundaries corresponds to the former city of Ville Saint Michel, which was annexed to Montreal in 1968. This former independent city was known as Saint-Michel-de-Laval from its inception in 1912 to...
from a landfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
to a green area. The exhibition, designed and produced by gsmprjct°Gsmprjct°gsmprjct° is a Montreal-based group specialized in the design and production of thematic installations and exhibitions mainly for museums. It includes four companies: gsmprjct°création, gsmprjct°intégration, gsmprjct°média et gsmprjct°technologie.-History:...
, featured an installation of mobile blocs that served as a three-dimensional projection screen on which a multimedia show of the site's transformation was projected.
- Pondicherry (India) - Achieving Economic and Environmental Goals through Heritage Preservation Initiatives as Demonstrated through: Asia Urbs Programme 2002-2004
- Porto AlegrePorto AlegrePorto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
(Brazil) - Governance Practice Based on Social Consensus: Strategies for Social Integration Promotion
- RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
(Netherlands) - Rotterdam Watercity
- São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
- Clean City Project
- VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
(Italy) - Protection and Utilization of Historical Heritages: Urban Best Practices in Venice
Makkah
This pavilion from Saudi Arabia described the tent city of Mina, temporary accommodation for 3 million people each year during the HajjHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrimage. The pavilion described transport, accommodation and sanitation needs and solutions.
Madrid
This Spanish pavilion was entitled The Sample of Government Low-cost Housing Estate and described the work there on the largest public housing project in Europe over the last decade.Odense
The city of OdenseOdense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, the birth city of Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, had an exhibition called Spinning Wheels, showcasing the city as a bike friendly destination.
Vancouver
Vancouver's exhibit was called "Cultural Heritage and Livable City: From Expo 1986Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
to 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
and included pictures and plans which showed how areas had changed over the 24 years between the city's two most significant international events
Citizen's Initiative Pavilion
Situated in Zone B, this was the only public participation pavilion at the expo. It took the theme Each Action You Take Will Change Our Life and comprised three sections:- "Paper" in Constant Change
- History of World Expo
- An interactive area including an activity to design an ideal city
The number of visitors reached 1 million in July
Life & Sunshine Pavilion
The first ever expo pavilion designed for disadvantaged people, this pavilion gave visitors the opportunity to experience some of the physical sensations associated with some disabilitiesDisability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
. It hosted a wedding in October.
MeteoWorld Pavilion
The first meteorological pavilion ever at an expo, this explored efficient energy useEfficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
, energy conservation
Energy conservation
Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
, natural phenomenon (via a 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
), weather forecasting
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
, disaster prevention and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
External links
- Expo 2010 Official Website
- Archdaily Shanghai 2010 coverage (details of projects)
- Xinhua News Agency's official coverage
- Complete coverage of Shanghai Expo by China.org.cn
- Expo Shanghai Online Interactive visitors' guide
- Expo 2010 Live streaming video
- Shanghai World's Fair
- Expo 2010 on ExpoMuseum.com
- Latvia Expo pavilion