Venezuela Pavilion

The Venezuela Pavilion is in the geometric shape of a “Mobius strip,” or an inverted cylinder. It is 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 depicts many traditional aspects of Venezuela’s history and culture. The concept adopted is based on the belief that cities cannot aspire to be truly great places to live until they first address the problems and shortcomings that adversely affect the lives of their citizens.

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The Venezuela Pavilion at another angle

Highlight 1: Indigenous Culture

The pavilion acknowledges the legacy of the country’s indigenous people, reproducing the style of a number of ethnic residences, such as the “Shapono Yanomami” (“forest villages”) or the “Churuata Yekuana” (the traditional homes of the Yekuana tribe). The Yanomami tribe that has thrived in the rainforests of South America for thousands of years will perform in the pavilion. Nor has it ignored the life experiences of the country’s burgeoning numbers of urban dwellers, opting to represent them through the most emblematic public space in any Venezualan city – the Plaza Bolivar.

Highlight 2: Two-way Audiovisual Transmissions

The exhibition area features two-way audiovisual transmissions via satellite between Shanghai and Venezuela. A live program of Venezuelan events will be broadcast. Venezuelans will also be able to see what’s happening in the Expo pavilion from large screens installed around their country.

Highlight 3: Performances by Children’s Orchestra

The pavilion’s theater will stage performances by Venezuela’s national orchestra and other stars. One of the highlights will be a Venezuelan children’s orchestra, which will perform in a 286-seat theater on July 5.

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Visitors at the pavilion

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An inscription located inside the pavilion

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A photographer in front of the statue of Simon Bolivar (Cesar Corona)

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Twirling designs (josuefelipe)

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Closer look at the dangling paraphernalia (Werner Schroettner)

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The exterior of the pavilion at night (Werner Schroettner)

Originally posted 2010-09-09 09:16:35.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Vanke Pavilion

Located to the west of the Huanpu River, the Corporate Pavilion of Vanke, a top Chinese property developer, consists of seven gold straw houses that graciously display the health and vigor of life. The pavilion, with its facade made of wheat straw, comprises seven independent tube-shaped buildings with their tops connected through blue light-filtering ETFE plastic films. The seven tube-shaped buildings are surrounded by over 1,000 square meters of water. With the water reflecting the sky, visitors will experience the intimacy with nature.

Exhibition Axis – The pavilion is called “2049,” when is the year marking the centenary of the People’s Republic of China, and will definitely arouse the public’s concern with the future. The year of 2049 bears upon not only the future of an individual, but also that of a city, a country and even the earth. Meanwhile, it also symbolizes a part of the journey towards the future, which entails infinite possibility. Against this backdrop, the pavilion shall depict the mutual respect between human beings, nature and cities through five tales, ushering the visitors into the prospects for the real estate sector – the exploration, endeavors and practices with respect to the industrialization of the housing sector.

Respect – Visitors will embark upon an amazing and fantastic journey after entering the pavilion where they will go through the five different stories concerning “respect.” How the white ants build up their nests brings inspiration for bionic architecture, and the story of water warns people that human beings must respect the gifts of nature. The existence of sandstorms tells us that they must keep the equilibrium of nature with our own choice. The garbage story shows that urban people must respect the natural ecosystem, and the golden monkey story displays beautiful landscapes where human beings and nature respect each other and exist harmoniously when human beings and nature contemplate at each other equally.

Unique Features – The main building material of the pavilion is straw boards made from natural wheat straw. In addition, the ventilation system of the pavilion makes use of both thermal pressure and wind pressure, which shall enable maximal natural ventilation, reduce the utilization of air conditioners and accordingly lower the energy consumption in the pavilion. Meanwhile, the seven buildings all have skylights, which are installed on the top of each building and made of blue ETFE plastic films. These skylights can allow in the sunshine, accordingly reducing the energy consumption of lighting.

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Vanke Pavilion Under Construction

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Vanke Pavilion (Stephen Yuwono)

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Vanke Pavilion Illuminated

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Inside the Vanke Pavilion

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Exhibit inside the Vanke Pavilion

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Exhibit inside the Vanke Pavilion

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Exhibit inside the Vanke Pavilion

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Design detail of the pavilion

Originally posted 2010-09-10 00:47:46.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Belgium Pavilion

The exterior of the Belgian pavilion is rather plain. The interior features a giant model of a brain cell, representing a valued product in Belgium, that being innovation. Because Belgium will become president of the European Union for the second half of 2010 the pavilion also houses the joint initiatives of the EU. The pavilion was opened by Manuel Barroso. All visitors to the pavilion receive a free praline promoting Belgian chocolate.

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Belgium Pavilion under construction

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Belgium Pavilion under construction

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Belgium Pavilion under construction

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Inside of the Belgium Pavilion under construction

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Belgium Pavilion

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Belgium Pavilion Illuminated (Joan XU)

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Belgium Pavilion Illuminated

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Beligium Pavilion

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Pavilion Entrance

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Illuminated entrance of the pavilion

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A chef using chocolate for his design

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Belgian Chefs and their Belgian Chocolate (Albertlaw)

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Belgian Beer Cafe (Remko Tanis)

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Belgian Beer Cafe (Remko Tanis)

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the Belgian Pavilion

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Inside the pavilion

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Inside the pavilion

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Inside the pavilion

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Inside the pavilion

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Design detail of the pavilion

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Design detail of the pavilion (Remko Tanis)

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Exhibit in the pavilion

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Exhibit in the pavilion

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Amazing Alphabet (Erica Ding)

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Smurfs Exhibit

Originally posted 2010-06-25 18:13:52.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

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Vietnam Pavilion

The facade of the 1,000-square-meter pavilion appears like a river and the bamboo surrounding it can reduce the heat from the sun. The design highlights Vietnamese culture. Visitors will learn about the country’s profound history and culture as well as its wisdom in eco-protection and urban development.

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Vietnam Pavilion with its Bamboo Walls (Kiva Dang)

By focusing on this ancient city, the pavilion will delve into the lives of Vietnamese citizens and the rapid development of the national economy since market reforms in 1986. In a Nov. 2009 report, PricewaterhouseCoopers projected Hanoi will be the fastest growing city in the world in terms of real GDP growth for the next 15 years.

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Vietnam Pavilion name close-up (Kiva Dang)

As a result of the booming economy, Hanoi and greater Vietnam face environmental problems that need to be addressed. To demonstrate Vietnam’s firm commitment to environmental stewardship, the entire pavilion was constructed out of a weaving structure of over 80,000 bamboo rods. Inside the pavilion, visitors can explore Vietnamese culture through traditional Vietnamese musical instruments and performances, along with pottery products from Vietnam’s ancient Ly and Tran dynasties.

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Centerpiece inside the Vietnam Pavilion (Kiva Dang)

Highlight 1: Celebrations

Hanoi, also known as Thang Long in history, is celebrating its 1,000th anniversary in 2010. The pavilion will host some Vietnamese performances and instruments for the occasion.

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Entrance to the Vietnam Pavilion (Kiva Dang)

Highlight 2: After-Use of Bamboo

The bamboo used as construction materials will be recycled after the Expo. They will be reused for social welfare facilities or rebuilding schools.

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Girl dressed in Vietnamese Clothing (Kiva Dang)

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Dazzling architecture within the Vietnam Pavilion (Kiva Dang)

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Vietnamese vases on display (Kiva Dang)

Originally posted 2010-09-03 10:28:18.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Liaoning Pavilion

The pavilion’s blue metal exterior full of rhythm manifests the hardness of steel and the beauty of the sea. Above the entrance is a Sinosauropteryx model. The exhibits include the fossils of the first bird and flower in the world, Liaoning’s six world cultural heritage items and its 200 greatest contributions to China’s economy; the interactive 4D cinema with 360 degree screen introduces the Liaoning coastal economic belt and Shenyang economic zone; multimedia movies show the charm of 14 Liaoning cities.

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High Officials at Liaoning Pavillion's opening

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Liaoning Pavillion Exterior

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Liaoning Pavillion Signs

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Entrance to the Liaoning Pavillion (Trevor Patt)

The Liaoning Pavilion at the China’s joint provincial pavilion is ready to welcome visitors, where they can see 14 rare and precious fossils. A bird fossil of Sinosauropteryx (Chinese reptilian wing) dating back 121 million years will take pride of place in the stainless steel pavilion. The bird was possibly the world’s earliest species unearthed in the province. The fossil of the first flower in the world will also be exhibited.

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Fossils exhibited inside Liaoning Pavillion

Fossil of a feathered dinosaur was put on show at Liaoning Pavilion on Friday. The fossil, Sinosauropteryx, also called Chinese reptilian wing, is believed to be the earliest feathered dinosaur or the ancestor of birds. The fossil was discovered in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Other 10 pieces of fossils on display, including dinosaurs and prehistory fruit, were also found in this province. The pavilion also contains exhibits about the province’s heavy industries and economic development.

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Close-up of the dinosaur

Originally posted 2010-08-31 11:11:16.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Shanghai Case Pavilion

The prototype of the case pavilion is a demonstration eco-building in Minhang District, Shanghai. As the first zero-energy building in China, it uses a huge solar thermal equipment to provide energy for the entire building. Green and energy-saving technologies to integrate solar energy in the building and make full use of rainwater and sewage, natural ventilation, shallow geothermal energy, display the concept of eco-housing and the pursuit of universal livable housing. The building has a shading system composed of shutters, French-window curtains and balcony awnings. Flowing liquids in the blue tubes on the wall can adjust the temperature of the entire building.

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Shanghai Case Pavilion (Kimon Berlin)

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Design detail of the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit in the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit in the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit in the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit in the pavilion (Tony Lin)

Originally posted 2010-09-13 00:56:18.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Denmark Pavilion

The Danish national pavilion showcases sustainability on climate and energy solutions along with architecture and design. The architectural company, Bjarke Ingels Group, designed Denmark’s spiral-shaped pavilion.

The pavilion’s centerpiece is The Little Mermaid, marking the first time that the iconic statue has left Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid is displayed in the center of an artificial pond within the Danish building. 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 got to Shanghai because of the long trip and it would therefore not be the same fresh water as it is in Copenhagen. The meaning of transporting the seawater with the statue was to give an 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.

The city of Odense, the birth city of Hans Christian Andersen, along with another 55 cities will also create exhibitions independent from the national pavilions. The Odense exhibition will be called Spinning Wheels, showcasing the city as a bike friendly destination.

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Construction Progress

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Denmark Pavilion Illuminated

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LEDs placed in each of the pavilion’s 3,500 openings transform the face from a plain white metal tube during the day into a florid artwork after nightfall. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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Exterior Shot of the Denmark Pavilion (Iwan Baan)

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Denmark Pavilion (Iwan Baan)

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Denmark Pavilion (Iwan Baan)

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Denmark Pavilion (Iwan Baan)

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The Little Mermaid in the center of Denmark Pavilion (Iwan Baan)

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Denmark Pavilion Illuminated (Iwan Baan)

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The Little Mermaid in the center of Denmark Pavilion

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Interior View of Denmark Pavilion

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Attendees who make their way to the pavilion’s roof by foot or by bike can visit the café, which serves traditional Danish foods. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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More than 1,000 bikes are on hand at the pavilion for visitors to use as they cycle up and down the velodrome. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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Visitors relaxing on the benches can take in presentations. Designed in part by a well-known Danish photographer and a famed film director, the multimedia displays profile everyday Danes, examine how the Danish lifestyle integrates sustainability, and explores how a Danish-Chinese effort will help build the sustainable cities of tomorrow. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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Where the statue typically resides in Copenhagen, a monitor has been placed with a live video feed of the mermaid from her temporary Shanghai home. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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Placing the symbol of innocence in a pool of clear water shipped from Copenhagen’s harbor, pavilion designers drove home the idea that the once-foul liquid could be returned to a pristine state by sustainable technologies. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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Underscoring the motif, the country shipped the statue of the Little Mermaid of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved story from its Copenhagen home. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

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The pavilion’s central theme of “welfairytales” suggests that Denmark is helping create a fairy tale for a new age, in which ecology replaces enchantments, but still end happily ever after. (Photos courtesy of BIG)

Originally posted 2010-08-16 00:00:58.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Cote d’lvoire Pavilion

Cote d’Ivoire will share its thoughts on maintaining harmonious cultural environment against the background of diversified culture, and its opinions on keeping identity of the nation in a trend of economic globalization.

‘Economy’, ‘society’ and ‘environment’ are the respective keywords for the three exhibition areas, and the three colors of the country’s national flag – orange, white and green – are adopted as the main colors of the areas. The design of the pavilion entrance is inspired by the renowned Ivory Coast. Inside the pavilion, the mushroom-shaped house is bound to attract the children and stimulate their imagination.

Area 1: ‘Society’ – The exhibition area will demonstrate, from the perspectives of ‘the past and the future’, the cases of conservation and preservation of historical heritage of Cote d’Ivoire, stories of contrasts and coexistence of diversified cultures as well as abundant tourism attractions and handicrafts.

Area 2: ‘Economy’ – Here you will find cocoa and coffee from Cote d’Ivoire, and have a close look at the county’s predominating agricultural economy, experience its current urban economy influenced by modern culture.

Area 3: ‘Environment’ – On one side you will see city samples that have sprung up as a result of fast urbanization; on the other, there are beautiful natural sceneries of seas, plains and primitive forests. This is the place where the permanent theme of ‘harmonious co-existence between man and nature’ is materialized.

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Africa Joint Pavilion

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Africa Joint Pavilion

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Cote d'Ivoire Pavilion

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Cote d'Ivoire Pavilion

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Visitors inside the Cote d'Ivoire Pavilion

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Cote d'Ivoire Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais delivers a speech

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Artists from Cote d'Ivoire perform

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Artists from Cote d'Ivoire perform

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Artists from Cote d'Ivoire perform

Originally posted 2010-09-03 02:06:34.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Beijing Case Pavilion

The Olympics Village is based on the “green, technology, humanities” theme of the Olympics, providing a case for large-scale residential areas with sustainable development concept, reflecting Expo best practices zone’s theme of “constructing environmental-friendly large-scale residential areas integrating innovation in application technology”.

The case aims at providing case solutions for urban residential area’s conflicts between development and resources shortage and environmental pollution. The exhibition emphasizes on renewable energy, energy saving, environmental protection, recyclable economy, achieving the goal of “healthy space, comfortable energy saving, everlasting quality.” The exhibition contains: construction application including light power, thermal power, cold energy, wind power, geothermal energy, water reuse, rain utility, green construction materials, renewable materials, recyclable economy, energy saving in architecture, interior environment, ecological scenes, intelligent household, digital television, green lighting, accessible infrastructure. By achieving these goals, the residence will achieve advanced level by international standard and provide exemplar for large-scale green residences in the world.

Area 1: One World, One Home – This exhibition hall will show you the characteristic building and hospitality of Chinese people. The gate of Guoao Cun Exhibition Zone, which highlights ancient architecture glamor and Olympic styles as well as the scroll shape of Olympic “Propitious Clouds”, will extend you the hospitality and kindness of Chinese people, just as what the well-known Olympic-themed lyric goes, “Our door is always open. We are waiting for you with open arms”. Echoing with the theme of the Expo “Better City, Better Life”, Guoao Cun demonstrates that Home Makes A Happy Life Come True. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the gate is made from the construction wastes.

Area 2: A green Visiting Card for the World – This exhibition hall focuses on the great achievements of Guoao Cun in following the three Olympic Concepts of “Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics People’s Olympics”. With the use of dynamic sand table and a circular screen, a three-dimensional landscape is formed in a dynamic way. The renewable energy utilization system adopted by Guoao Cun is capable of generating 67 million kWh of energy from the sunlight and recycled water every year. This can save 26,000 tons of standard coal according to the consumption of coal-fired power generation and reduce a formidable emission of carbon dioxide up to 67,000 tons. The utilization of recycled water saves electrical energy by 40%. In Guoao Cun, the buildings with minimal energy consumption are equipped with more than 20 domestically-leading technologies, witnessing the energy saving of 140,000 kWh on the annual basis. Guoao Cun has been crowned with many great honors at home and overseas. For example, Guoao Cun is the only winner in the world for the honor of “LEED Gold Award for Green and Environmental Protection” in LEED-ND Evaluation System Certification by USGBC (United States).

Area 3: Advocate for ubiquitous low-carbon lifestyle – With the theme of “Low-carbon is everywhere beside me”, this exhibition hall follows ordinary people’s daily routine as storyline to showcase the ubiquitous low-carbon lifestyle. What on display are diversified, ranging from room layout design for whole life cycle, kitchen and sanitation devices with energy conservation and water saving merits, passive and wireless lighting control approach, end energy mode with floor radiation, environmental protection materials, to intelligent household furnishing, etc. Through interactive activities, visitors will experience by themselves a low-carbon lifestyle, and green livable homeland.

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Case Joint Pavilion 4-21

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Beijing Case Pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Inside the Beijing Case Pavilion

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

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Exhibit inside the pavilion (Tony Lin)

Originally posted 2010-09-14 04:36:56.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.

Oil Pavilion

Exterior walls of the pavilion are decorated with criss-crossed petroleum and gas pipes, which emphasize industry characteristics and give the pavilion a modern appearance. The whole pavilion resembles a huge energy-processing network, symbolizing that abundant underground oil is the main impetus for the city. Construction materials of the building adopt new environmentally friendly oil derivatives as an exploration of widespread uses of petroleum and petrochemical products.Interior of the pavilion is divided into three sections: the past, present and future, displaying respectively the evolution of petroleum during millions of years, vital roles of petroleum for human history and city development, and prosperous visions for the development of petroleum.

Highlight 1: Walls of LED screens – Exterior walls with an area of 4,000 square meters will turn into a huge LED screen, which can change patterns based on various music played by the spring nearby.

Highlight 2: Fantastic virtual scenes – Fantastic virtual scenes of the petroleum and petrochemical industries are created with multimedia tools.

Highlight 3: 4D theatre – Visitors can travel across times and experience stories based on petroleum in the eight-minute films played in the modern 4D theatre.

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Oil Pavilion Illuminated (Dr. P. Yang)

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Oil Pavilion Illuminated

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Oil Pavilion Illuminated

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Screen outside the pavilion

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Design detail of the pavilion

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Visitors outside the pavilion

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A child looking at mini fountains outside the pavilion

Originally posted 2010-09-09 02:30:30.

©2012 World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All Rights Reserved.