Construction began a while ago on the UK pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010, however it has been said that there may be some controversial changes to the original design when the project is finished towards the end of 2009.
The original design, called the “Pavilion of Ideas,” was a special “box of light” which would house 60,000 shining pixels, each ending with a tiny light source that would move when the wind blew (and Shanghai is famous for its wind!). In the evening and through the night, the pavilion would twinkle with a variety of light effects, and it would be like a romantic show.
However, this design has now been slightly changed, and the “light box” has been opened up. It now has more in common with an enormous gift box than a light box, with the present being given from the UK to China. Officials from the British Consulate-General in Shanghai are extremely pleased with the idea that the gift may symbolise diplomatic ties between the two countries. Inside the pavilion there will be an exhibition about “bringing nature back into the city”, and this popular theme of regeneration can be seen throughout the Shanghai Expo 2010 in a number of different pavilions.
Five British corporations – Diageo, BP, GKN, AstraZeneca and Barclays – will invest half a million pounds each for the pavilion, and the rest will be paid for by the British government, who can clearly see the importance in strengthening ties with China and the business potential that this holds.
Keep checking back for more information about the UK pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010 in the near future!
The team behind the much troubled USA pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is happy this morning after word got out that they are two-thirds of the way to reaching their target fundraising total of $61m. Much of the money has come from private firms who want to support the Shanghai Expo and put their names on one of the most prestigious pavilions.
USA Pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010 close to fundraising goal
The US Pavilion will have a wide range of features. The first is an organic, sustainable garden on the roof of the construction, which will highlight farming methods and underline the need for a healthy life in the future. The fruits of this work (or perhaps, the vegetable of the work) will be served in a restaurant inside the pavilion itself! This novel idea is one of many such biodiverse and agriculture friendly initiatives at the upcoming Shanghai Expo.
Another key feature of the USA Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo will be the ability for visitors to ‘meet’ people from the future – people who were (theoretically at least) inspired and motivated by the 2010 Expo and who want to share their stories with the world. It may sound complex, but it will be joined with another Expo event alongside it which will analyse certain US cities and give us an idea about what they will look like in 20 years time. This Expo theme of present meeting future is one which will definitely run through a lot of different pavilions.
The USA Expo pavilion itself will be located in very close to the Western edge of the Expo zone – this is regarded as a key area as there will be an entrance situated close to it. This sort of advantage will be just one of the factors that the Americans will try to take advantage of to convince more donors to come on board so that they can reach their $61m target for fundraising befor next year.
We’ll keep you abreast of more news about the USA Pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010 as we get it!
The pavilion consists of three areas – Whispering Garden, Hall of Light and Hall of Innovations.
The Whispering Garden is a green orchard that greets visitors as they enter the building. Some facilities will be installed to make the trees begin to “whisper” in both English and Chinese when visitors walk close to them.
The hall of Light includes a 15-meter high screen. It will display films highlighting Israel’s innovations and technological achievements.
The Hall of Innovation is the centerpiece of the Israel Expo Pavilion. A special audio-visual show will allow visitors to talk with Israeli children, scientists, doctors and inventors via hundreds of screens. These Israelis will introduce themselves and share their hopes for a better future.
Israel allocated about US$6 million for its participation at Expo 2010, which includes the cost of its pavilion and other activities. It is the first time Israel has committed to building a national pavilion at a World Expo.
This is Romania’s pavilion at the Shanghai Expo (World Expo) in Shanghai, China in 2010.
Romania’s national pavilion at Shanghai 2010 World Expo will represent a green apple in its focus on a “green city” concept.
The pavilion size is 2,000 square meters and its apple shape and logo “Greenopolis” represent the importance of healthy lifestyle, sustainable development and knowledge-based solutions for modern society.
Romania tries to highlight a city’s historical and cultural heritage in order to understand, develop and translate this wisdom into a better quality of life for contemporary urban Romanian citizens.
The Finnish government hopes to dismantle the pavilion after the Shanghai Expo and move it to other places in China, using it as a restaurant, office building or library.
The government of Finland has given about 14 million euros (US$18 million) for its participation at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
The building, around 2,000 square meters in size, will take visitors on a journey through snow-capped mountains, forests, flowing rivers and urban landscapes. It displays Austria’s natural scenery and landmark buildings such as Vienna City Hall, and the theme is called “Feel the Harmony.”
The pavilion will take a porcelain outer shell in red and white colors, which represent the colors of the Austrian national flag. The red color also takes on Chinese meaning of the color of good luck.
The Norway pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 will be called “15 trees”. The Norwegian government wants to keep the “15 trees” in China after the Shanghai Expo 2010 as a “symbol of the friendly relations between the two countries”.
The Norway pavilion might be split and moved to different areas of China, or relocated as a whole.
The “trees” could become restaurants, conference halls or found in parks for people to enjoy.
The Norwegian pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 cost 150 million Norwegian kroner (US$22.8 million), half provided by the Norwegian government and the other half from companies.
The Ireland pavilion at the Shanghai expo 2010 is going to show off its changing townscapes through the time.
Ireland will show its urban lifestyle with highlight on the efficient use of space. Eire wants to highlight its sustainable development model and people’s involvement in these projects.
The Irish Pavilion will be built across gentle inclines and will have five enclosed galleries, covering more than 1,500 square meters of exhibition space.
Ireland’s expo 2010 pavilion will also feature a courtyard plaza that will act as an exhibition space and a performance zone.
The cultural history of Irish cities and their achievements in arts and literature will be presented through exhibitions and performances in the Ireland pavilion at the Shanghai world expo 2010.
The Denmark pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010, the centerpiece will be a copper statue, which will sit on a piece of marble to welcome visitors to the pavilion during the Shanghai Expo.
The idea of the statue came to Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of the Carlsberg beer company, after he became fascinated by a ballet about the fairy tale. The famous artist Edward Eriksen then made the statue, which was first unveiled in 1913.
The Danish Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo consists of an outdoor area and an indoor area which are joined in a circle. The pavilion aims to give visitors the chance to savor the best aspects of Danish city life.
The pavilion’s name is “Welfairytales” – a mixture of the words “welfare” and “fairy tales”.
The Denmark pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010 will also feature a mermaid!
Chile was the first country to sign up for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China.
The Shanghai Expo 2010 mascot, Haibao was on hand to reveal the plans for the Chile pavilion a couple of months ago.
The Chile pavilion will feature a huge range of Chilean products and services which bring a taste of South American culture to the World Expo in Shanghai, China.