Expo 2010 pavilions

This article contains the details of the pavilions at 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 the World's Fair, with more than 45 billion US dollars invested by the Chinese Government.

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 host country. 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 center had an atrium 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. The company, which had already designed a pavilion for the Expo 2000 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.''An Urban Planet.'' In: ''Business Forum China.'' pp. 79–80
''"Urban Planet" Pavillon auf der Expo Shanghai 2010.''
PDF, 1 MB It reflected 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 planners have to address the urgent needs of the residents as "the prerequisite for the city's sustainable development."''The Urban Dwellers Pavilion. Various Stories of 6 Families''
In: ''Shanghai Expo Magazine''. Issue 6/2009.

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.

City Being Pavilion

The City Being pavilion is designed by the join venture of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and Land Design Studio in London. The exhibition examined the growth of infrastructures 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 stations 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.

Urban Footprint Pavilion

The concept and design for the Urban Footprint Pavilion were contributed by the Xiao Hui Wang Art Center under the supervision of the Shanghai Museum. 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."

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, Freiburg im Breisgau, Canberra and San Diego. The tour included 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.

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 Pavilion.

Africa Pavilion

The Africa Pavilion was 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.

Argentina

More than 4 million visits were made to the Argentina Pavilion during the duration of the Expo.

Australia

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 A$83 million, the most Australia has ever allocated for a pavilion in history. A$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.

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 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 José Manuel Barroso.

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.

The second floor housed 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 waffles.

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 consisted of vertical, revolving patterns which symbolized development and the improvement of the lives of Brunei's citizens. The pavilion featured a pathway through the rainforest 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.

Canada

The 6,000 m² Canada Pavilion featured an exhibition themed ''"The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative"''. The pavilion was expected to receive up to people or 30,000 visitors per day, during the six-month Expo period. Canada hired Mark Rowswell, (known as Dashan 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 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 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 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.

Chile

The Chile Pavilion, also known as the "Sprout of a New City" was located in Area C and occupied approximately 2,000 m².

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 Axis 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 date 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.
*''Exploring the Oriental Footprint'': This first part highlighted 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 chariot from the Terracotta Army.
*''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 and the Expo Axis were not dismantled following the Expo. On 1 October 2012, the China pavilion was reopened as the China Art Museum.

China's joint provincial pavilion

China's Joint Provincial Pavilion was a large box-shaped building located underneath the China Pavilion. It housed the individual pavilion stalls of every one of China provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. In all there were 31 pavilions. Although each pavilion is relatively small in size, all were elaborately designed with cultural and architectural qualities unique to each province. For example, the exterior of the Heilongjiang Pavilion resembled blocks of ice, alluding to the extremely cold environment of the province, while the Guizhou pavilion boldly emphasised silver head decorations, displaying special folk characteristics.

Colombia

The Colombia Pavilion which was located in Area C of the Expo was designed by Colombian architects Alejandro Puentes and Esteban Castro from the firm 4H. The concept divided the building into three elements. The base was a glass wall imprinted with a series of pictures showing landscapes, people and city developments. The body of the building was in the form of laser-cut PVC panels showing Tumaco's fabric stamps to celebrate their harmonic relationship with the environment. The third part was a lighthouse, landmark and a glowing tower displaying a flock of parrots recalling the colors of the Colombian flag.

Denmark

The Denmark Pavilion designed by Bjarke Ingels Group 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 have turned rotten by the time it had reached Shanghai. The intention of transporting the seawater with the statue was 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, and on October 30, 2010, it welcomed its 5.55 millionth visitor, matching the population of Denmark.

Egypt

The Egypt Pavilion was located in Area C.
Egypt's 1,000-square-meter pavilion was designed as a gift by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. A bit stark with swirling black and white swooshes, it is apparently meant to combine modernity with antiquity, represented by the constellation-like graphic of three pyramids above the arched entrance. Indeed, the building looks like some lost spaceship which had landed in Shanghai by mistake and was now trying to avoid notice by disguising itself as a pavilion.

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 KONE

France

The France Pavilion featured six paintings and one sculpture on loan from the Musée d'Orsay. 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 prize category for pavilions at the expo.

Germany

The 6000 m², Germany Pavilion was located in Zone C of the expo. The pavilion was themed "Balancity" – a portmanteau

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