World Expo Shanghai 2011 | UAE Pavilion | Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners’ design for the UAE pavilion draws inspiration from a sand dune, a symbolic feature of the desert landscape shared by each of the seven emirates. With capacity for 450 people and enclosing 3,000 square metres of exhibition space, the pavilion is one of the largest structures to be built for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Responding to the ‘Better Cities, Better Lives’ theme, the pavilion is designed to showcase projects such as the Masdar Initiative, a new 6 million square metre carbon neutral zero waste community in Abu Dhabi, intended to become a centre for the development of new ideas for energy production.........more

World Expo 2010 | Spanish Pavilion for Expo Shanghai 2010 | EMBT

“Only a few months following the opening ceremony for the International Exhibition in Zaragoza 2008, word has already come around of the Shanghai Expo 2010, which aims to be the greatest and most sustainable environmentally, but at the same time the most technological. In the hard task of making everything coexist, the pavilions will divide themselves between technological choices (…) and the sustainable ones, like the warped fabric made of steel and wicker of Spanish pavilion. The Barcelonese studio Miralles Tagliabue (EMBT) won the public contest.
The project proposed by EMBT consists on developing the handicraft technique of the wicker into a practice of construction. With this goal in mind, the universal language of the material works to build a bridge between East and West, and among Spain and China. With the volumetric, material, and structural inspirations of a wicker basket array, the void of the stands will mold a pavilion in which tubular metallic supports will sustain a wicker grid that will filter the light and function as a climatic membrane that wraps the pavilion.”
More about the pavilion here

WORLD EXPO 2010 | UBPA B3-2 PAVILION | Archea Associati

To meet the express wishes of the client, the building is a simple rectangular box, 78x28 meters, completely free inside to create a neutral space that can accommodate the exhibits of the cities participating in the event.
As the project is part of a cooperation program between the Expo and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, the design also turned the concept of an industrial-inspired envelope into a mechanism for spreading natural light so that the space could be fully lit without using any energy.
To these ends, the roof was designed as a shed structure along the building’s long side, crossed by steel beams clad so as to form reflecting surfaces that spread the light from above.
The design was also conceived to allow for the building’s complete conversion and reuse.
It was designed and built to be able to be disassembled and reassembled in another place.
For this reason, the entire building was made with mortarless technologies that let over 90% of the parts used in the construction be recovered.
The outside walls are a metal structure clad with silicon textile panels to turn the building container into a soft, vibrating surface.

LOCATION :Shanghai
PROJECT :Padiglione espositivo
CLIENT :World Expo Shanghai 2010 Holding Company
STRUCTURES :Favero&Milan Ingegneria
SYSTEMS :Favero&Milan Ingegneria
PLAN :2007
REALISATION :under construction
COST :€ 2.000.000,00
BUILT AREA :2.000 sq m
VOLUME :30.000 cu m
CONTRACTOR :Shanghai Construction Company
More here

World Expo 2010 Shanghai | Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion | IN/OUT arh studio

"Our goal was to create a unique space, a space that contains and combines different segments of our country’s presentation, while at the same time arranging the interior in such a way that a visitor would feel comfortable in an abundance of information presented to him/her, the complexity of the interiors, created by following simple rules, creates a plethora of possibilities for this exhibition’s presentation and to compel a visitor to step out of status quo and float through our space without neglect outside mantle which is defined with complicity of inside form.

The external structure is defined by the complexity of its internal form. The interior design is such that it flows outward, transforming itself into stripes, which envelop the structure. We chose to include this in an attempt to create unity of interior and exterior space. Stripes embedded into the façade reflect the playfulness of the children’s art imprinted on them; they are the harmony of childhood games shown through facade’s webbing.

We worked with the theme of fortification of medieval Bosnian cities and incorporated it into our idea of interior organization of space. Working with a theme of our medieval fortified cities, we applied that concept as an idea for arrangement of interior space.

We came up with schematics for the interior of our structure which correlate with the relationship and placement of elements, points: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Following the basic rule of movement of these points in coordinate system, this seemingly simple concept has transformed the entire interior of our structure into a complex space. On the outside, as per assigned guidelines, drawings made by children appear.

The interior is comprised of 5 scenes. Canvas cascading from the ceiling serves not only as an interior design stratagem; it also acts and directly contributes to the presentation, making the space playful in all its manifestations."

Pictures of the pavillion at architecturenewsplus or inout

World Expo | British Pavillion | Heatherwick Studio

Competing with over 200 national counterparts, this was no small challenge. However, Heatherwick’s simple yet ingenious competition-winning proposal for the UK pavilion looks in with a chance. The designers have given over most of the 6,000m² site to a folded landscape, creating the pavilion as an axial focal point. Crucially, instead of an exhibition that bombards visitors with information about the UK, the scheme integrates structure and content.

Externally, the pavilion is a hairy, somewhat amorphous object, with over 60,000 acrylic rods piercing a 15 x 15 x 10m box. Those familiar with Heatherwick’s work will trace this silhouette to an earlier project, Sitooterie II at Barnards Farms in Essex (AR January 2004) in which the designer punctured a cube with 5,000 aluminium tubes. At Shanghai, this precedent is vastly scaled up and the form exponentially more mesmerising, as the rods quiver in the breeze issuing from the nearby river.

The Expo’s theme is Better City, Better Life and the UK explores this through the relationship between nature and cities.....AR

Shanghai World Expo 2010 | Mexican Pavilion | SLOT Architects

The pavilion’s design is born from the idea of representing Mexico through its traditional elements which haven’t been exploited in these kinds of fairs. The proposal scheme is centered around the idea of creating a green space within the expo which at the same time represents our preoccupation to offer a better life standard for cities through the recovery of green areas rather than creating a protagonist building.

The Mexican pavilion is a volume defined by a talud (slope) which transforms itself into a plaza privileging public space as an urban gesture within the expo. Space is divided in three levels which represent three different moments of urban life in our country. The past is represented on the plinth, present time Mexico at the entrance level, and future on the platform.

The pavilion’s main feature lies within the design of the papalotes (kites), a word that comes from the Nahuatl papalotl which means butterfly, used as a cultural meeting point between mexican and chinese cultures.

Our proposal is to look into a future with areas which are thought, destined and planned specifically for leisure, the recovery of parks and green areas, where new generations might meet in a city with a “better living”.
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Danish Expo Pavilion 2010 | BIG

The Danish pavilion at EXPO 2010 will give visitors the opportunity to try some of the best aspects of Danish city life themselves. Through interaction, the visitors are able to actually experience some of Copenhagen’s best attractions – the city bike, the harbor bath, playground settings, a picnic on the roof garden and the opportunity to see the

authentic H.C Andersen’s Little Mermaid.

“When we visited the World Exhibition in Zaragoza, we were stunned by the artificial content. State propaganda in paper maché. The Danish Expo pavilion 2010 is the real deal, and not just endless talking. You can ride the city bike, take a swim in the harbor bath, and see the real Little Mermaid”, Founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels
The pavilion is designed as a traffic loop created by the motion of city bikes and pedestrians tied in a knot. Over 300 free city bikes located upon the roofscape, offer the visitors a chance to experience the Danish urban lifestyle which includes biking everywhere. The loops are connected in two places. Coming from the inside, the visitors can move out onto the roof, pick up a bike and re‐visit the exhibition by bike as the outdoor cycle path slips into the interior and runs along the entire exhibition before exiting onto the EXPO grounds. The sequence of events at the exhibition takes place between two parallel facades – the internal and external. The internal is closed and contains different functions of the pavilion. The width varies and is defined by the programme of the inner space. The pavilion’s external façade is made of perforated steel. In the evening time, the façade becomes a sequenced instrument of interactive light illuminating the passers‐by.

The exhibition can be experienced in two speeds, as a calm stroll with time to absorb the surroundings and as a dynamic bicycle trip, where the city and city life rush past. Like a Danish city, the Danish pavilion is best experienced on foot and by bike. This way, the pavilion’s theme Welfairytales (Welfare + Fairytales) re‐launches the bicycle in Shanghai as a symbol of lifestyle and sustainable urban development. When the Expo closes, the pavilion can be moved to another site in Shanghai and could function as a transfer point for Shanghai’s new city bikes.

"Sustainability is often misunderstood as the neo-protestant notion "that it has to hurt in order to do good". "You're not supposed to take long warm showers - cause wasting all that water it’s not good for the environment" or "you're not supposed to fly on holidays - cause airtraffic is bad for the environment". Gradually we all get the feeling that sustainable life simply is less fun than normal life. If sustainable designs are to become competitive it can not be for purely moral or political reasons - they have to be more attractive and desirable than the non-sustainable alternative. With the Danish Pavilion we have attempted to consolidate a handful of real experiences of how a sutainable city - such as Copenhagen - can in fact increase the quality of life" , Founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels

The pavilion is a monolithic structure in white painted steel which keeps it cool during the Shanghai summer sun due to its heat‐reflecting characteristics. The roof is covered with a light blue surfacing texture, known from Danish cycle paths. Inside, the floor is covered with light epoxy and also features the blue cycle path where the bikes pass through the building. The steel of the facade is perforated in a pattern that reflects the actual structural stresses that the pavilion is experiencing making it a 1:1 stress test. The blue cycle path and white concrete surfaces will further define the arrival and exit areas.

Sitting in the harbor pool at the centre of the pavilion is the real Little Mermaid from the harbor of Copenhagen. As one of three of H.C. Andersen’s fables, who is affectionally known in China as An Tung Shung, which is read by every child in China, this will be seen as a gesture of cultural generosity between Denmark and China. While the mermaid is in Shanghai her place in Copenhagen will be replaced by Ai Wei Wei’s multimedia artwork, including a live broadcast of the statue in Shanghai. Other artists include Jeppe Hein from Denmark, who designed a ‘social bench’ that will run alongside the bicycle lane and adapts to its environment elastically by incorporating different functions including a bar for food and drink. The works of Martin De Thurah and Peter Funch are also included in the exhibition areas.

Via

Austrian Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 | World Expo

A futuristic pavilion, coated with ten million porcelain tiles: It is in a very exciting way that Austria represents itself at Expo 2010, taking place from May to October in Shanghai, China. The building is the result of a cooperation between Vienna-based architect's offices SPAN and Zeytinoglu. The contract for the design was awarded within the framework of a selection procedure on EU level and by unanimous jury decision.

According to the theme "Austria – Feel the Harmony" the pavilion addresses all senses through space, sound and visuals.

Futuristic Elegance: Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai
Architecture and Design by SPAN & Zeytinoglu

On May 1, the Expo 2010 will open in Shanghai, China. The Austrian pavilion by Viennese architects SPAN & Zeytinoglu provides visitors with a manifold and complex spatial experience. The concept also comprises the entire interior design and essential parts of the interior fittings. Both the building and the design objects are based on sophisticated digital models. Thanks to comprehensive logistics, the construction on site ran smoothly – and within budget allowance.
The Austrian pavilion by Vienna-based architects SPAN & Zeytinoglu causes quite a sensation in Shanghai. “We are glad that is was erected precisely according to our plans”, says architect Arkan Zeytinoglu. Enrobed in ten million porcelain tiles, the pavilion takes the form of a seamlessly shimmering building, spectacularly reconciling elegant with futuristic elements. In the designing and planning phases, SPAN & Zeytinoglu predominantly work with digital models, a method allowing them to integrate e.g. achievements of topology, the exploration of complex curved geometries. “The Austrian pavilion directly reflects this practice”, explains Sandra Manninger of SPAN:“Its organic, curvilinear forms and the continuous flow between spaces base on natural geometric systems.”

Symbiosis of Architecture and Design
Based on the design methodology for the Pavillion, SPAN & Zeytinoglu also developed the entire interior design including the restaurant, the shop and the VIP area in addition to the exhibition space and the office area. As part of the interior fittings, the team designed the restaurant and the VIP bar, the shop desk, the info desk, the modular sitting lounge in the VIP area and the reception desk in the VIP lobby. “Although the objects have a value of their own, their integration into the architecture is essential: Spaces and objects form a symbiosis and enhance each other”, explains Matias del Campo from SPAN. The design objects are made from CNC-milled polyurethane and coated with synthetic resin. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is a technology originally developed for the aviation industry, enabling the precise construction of digitally generated, complexly curved objects.

Ten Million Porcelain Tiles
More than ten million tiles cover the pavilion’s facade, a porcelain skin gradually changing from red to white. The cladding of the complex curved surface wrapping the entire building and the roof was made possible by the selection of very small hexagonal modules. The result is what appears to be a smooth, seamless surface, regardless of its opposite nature: 60 million joints result in a regular distribution of the building hull’s tension forces. The design also alludes to the tradition of Chinese porcelain exports to Europe.

Largest Expo of all Times
The design by SPAN and Zeytinoglu was the unanimous choice of the jury in a pan-European competition held in 2008. This gave the architects an opportunity to render the cultural identity of Austria tangible in a global context. It is the first expo operated by China. With more than 240 participating countries, a budget of three billion Euros and no less than 70 million visitors it is the largest World Exposition ever.
Via

Shanghai World Expo 2010 | China Pavillion

Construction is finally complete on the national pavilion for Shanghai’s 2010 World Expo, which is set to start on May 1st of this year.
The China Pavilion, also known as the Oriental Crown, represents the spirit of the people of China and showcases a variety of sustainable building practices ranging from passive design to rainwater harvesting.
The Oriental Crown is one of the 5 permanent green buildings on the Expo site, and it will be converted into a national history museum upon the conclusion of the expo next October.

Numerous pavilions have been designed around the expo’s theme of “Better Life, Better City,” and many of the pavilions focus upon sustainable and energy-efficient building practices.
The China Pavilion sits right next to the Expo Boulevard and the Sun Valleys, which act as the center of the Expo.
Painted the same red as the Forbidden City, the Oriental Crown consists of four pillars with 6 floors expanding out and up.
The 30 meter high roof is constructed from 56 wooden brackets, which represent the 56 minority ethnic groups of China.
Additionally, nine folded scripts engraved on the surface of the building list the short names of China’s provinces.
Designed by He Jingtang, the director of the Architectural Academy of the South China University of Technology, the pavilion includes many energy saving technologies.
The exterior of the structure offers a temperature buffer zone and natural ventilation for the interior, and the inverted shape of the pavilion acts as shading for entire building as well as the courtyard below.
The roof of the structure includes eco-friendly landscaping and harvests rainwater.
More at Inhabitat

Shanghai World Expo 2010 | Hungarian Pavillion

Hungary inveiled the design for their pavillion for next year’s Shanghai World Expo, designed by Tamás Lévai. Gömböc, as a hungarian invention, is the central element of the exhibition, a two meter high solid plexiglass moving object.

Images here

Austrian Pavillion for Shanghai Expo 2010 | SPAN and Zeytinoglu Architects

More images here

Expo 2010 Shanghai, The Finnish pavilion | Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit

Shanghai World Fair, China
General architectural competition 2 Place
Customer: Finpro
Floor: 2 988 m2
Data and images from: AOA

Expo 2010 will be held in Shanghai, China and is a scheduled World Expo in the grand tradition of international fairs and expositions. The theme of the exposition will be "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as a major economic and cultural center. It is expected to generate the largest number of visitors in the history of the world's fairs in terms of gross numbers.
The Expo will take place from May 1–October 31, 2010.

World Expo 2010 Shanghai,Finnish Pavilion | Avanto Architects

Our competition entry for the Finnish pavilion for the World Exhibition in Shanghai in 2010 emphasized the need to fight against global warming. In Finland we have been able to enjoy four seasons, each with a different climate. The pavilion demonstrates, in a positive way, what we loose if we let the temperature level rise.
The whole visit is planned to be done on skates. In the hot summer temperature this makes the visit more pleasurable and provides a memorable personal experience. The easily moved steel frame structure is draped with a free form textile facade. The entry was made together with POOK Architects.
Text and images from: Avanto Architects

World Expo Shanghai 2010,Swiss Pavillion | Group 8

Type of commission:
2 round competition
2nd price

Client:
Présence Suisse

Cost:
Confidentiel

Project team:
Adrien Besson
Christophe Pidoux
François de Marignac
Daniel Zamarbide
Grégoire Thomas (associated)
Thomas Sponti

Partner:
Guscetti & Tournier (ingeneering)
Christian Haller (géomantic studies)
NORM, Manuel Krebs, Dimitri Brüni, Zürich (Graphic identity)
Hager AG, Zürich (Landscape architect)

Project dates:
2006-2007

World Expo 2010 Shanghai |Danish Pavilion | 3XN Architects

Address: Shanghai, China
Client: The Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs
Area: 3,000 m2
3XN Team: Kim Herforth Nielsen, Jan Ammundsen, Stig Vesterager Gothelf, Rasmus Hjortshøj, Mans Nijkamp, Ulrich Pohl, Majbritt Lerche Madsen, Stephen Clarke, Berglind Elfudottir, Christian Bundegaard, Bodil Nordstrøm, Christina Melholt Brogaard
Via Archdaily
3XN website