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.Theme Pavilions_the official Website of Expo 2010 Shanghai China
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 in which some of the individual pavilions opened. Construction was completed in September 2009 before interior construction began.Theme Pavilion Saw the Successful Completion of Its Construction. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 11/2009.
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.An Urban Planet. In: Business Forum China. pp. 79–80.
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.An Urban Planet. In: Business Forum China. pp. 79–80. "Urban Planet" Pavillon auf der Expo Shanghai 2010. Website of TRIAD Berlin. PDF, 1 MB
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 joint 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.An Introduction to the Theme Pavilions of the Expo 2010. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009. The Urban Beings Pavilion. Logic of Life. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009.
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 was shown through a large theater with seven folded screens and a 7000 m2 velarium.The Urban Beings Pavilion. Logic of Life. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009.
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, "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."The Urban Footprints Pavilion. Recap of History, Inspire the Future. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009.
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 journey into the future, adopting an optimistic view of opportunities for developing habitable cities via a combination of technological progress and tradition.,The Urban Dreams Pavilion. Dream Guides City's Future. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009.
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 Urban Dreams Pavilion. In: Shanghai Expo Magazine. Issue 6/2009.
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 panels, 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 a 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."Argentine pavilion in Shanghai Expo receives more than 4 mln visitors". Retrieved 2010-November-18
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 façade 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.