History
Throughout its 150 years of its existence, the World EXPO has always brought in new knowledge coming from a given era and reflected development trends in human civilization. The main attraction of the first World EXPO in London in 1851 was the Crystal Palace: an almost five hundred meter-long palace built of cast iron and glass. Subsequently, the exhibiting countries would offer presentations of similar advantages at irregular intervals once every several years.
From simple expositions of artifacts in the 19th century, the EXPO movement graduated to a more complex introduction of exhibits during the 20th century. Krejcar’s pavilion at the 1937 Paris EXPO is considered today to be the forerunner of high-tech style and one of the milestones of modern world architecture. The last EXPO before WWII took place in 1939 in New York and then the world was divided first by WWII and then by the Iron Curtain.
In 1958, relations were truly chilly due to the Cold War, and this is why the meeting of the two worlds in Brussels commanded such an exceptional interest. Immediately on the first day, the exposition grounds attracted some 150 thousand visitors, and 41 million through its entire duration (from April to October). Among the wonders of Brussels, besides the Atomium and the Philips buildings by Le Corbusier, was a church for two and a half million worshipers built by the Vatican, and the civil engineering pavilion, a complicated structure - a statue by Van Doosselaere.
Today EXPO is the economic and cultural Olympiad of the world, a competition among nations, as well as among exhibitors from the private sector on a given subject. At the same time, it is about marketing countries internationally. Expositions of the first category last a maximum of 6 months and may be held on an enormous area.
Introduction of 2010 Shanghai World Expo
When: May 1 to Oct 31, 2010
Theme: Better City, Better Life
Sub-themes: Urban Cultural Diversity, Urban Economic Growth and Prosperity, Innovation of Science and Technology in Urban Context, Remolding of Urban Communities, Interaction between Urban and Rural areas.
Singapore Pavilion
The Singapore Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is to be called Urban Symphony – a tribute to how Singapore houses a delicate harmony of cultures coexisting together in a city-state. Designed by Kay Ngee Tan Architects, the theme is best expressed in the pavilion’s architecture, one which evokes images of a musical box. It forms an orchestra of elements and a symphony for the senses – from the choreography of the plaza’s water fountain, the rhythm of fenestration on the facade, the interplay of sounds and visuals, to the melange of flora on the roof garden.
Highlight 1: Unique Design
Supported by four columns of different profiles, the entire structural system features floors of different shapes and sizes, connected by ramps and stairs suspended from trusses smoothly, to form a tensional balance, which symbolizes a harmonious coexistence of people who live, work and have fun in Singapore.
Highlight 2: "Hanging Garden"
The unique Singapore experience will culminate in the "Hanging Garden" - a rooftop garden landscaped with mysterious flora and music fountains. Here visitors will get a first-hand feel of Singapore as a Garden City.
Highlight 3: Environmental Protection
Singapore Pavilion also highlights its environment-friendly design. Facade slits and chilled water along the perimeter of the ground floor centre space will help reduce massive energy consumption whilst recyclable building materials will feature extensively.
Highlight 4: Beautiful Night View
Beautiful Night View Fountains at the square outside of the pavilion is a prelude of "Urban Symphony". When night falls, dazzling light rays flow out from the interlaced windows and facade slits, rendering the "Music Box" with more charming beauties.
For more information on Singapore's pavilion, check out the office website
here.
Here are 3 of the pavilions which I thought are pretty unique!! Check out the website
here for a list of participating countries and information on their pavilions. Enjoy =)
Dutch Pavilion
The Dutch pavilion, designed by architect/artist John Körmeling, is called ‘Happy Street’. It’s an entire street in the shape of the number eight, an auspicious number in Chinese culture. Visitors to the pavilion stroll along houses in different styles that represent Dutch architectural tradition, including designs by Gerrit Rietveld and Jan Wils.
China Pavilion
The main structure of the China Pavilion, "The Crown of the East," has a distinctive roof, made of traditional dougong or brackets, which has a history dating back more than 2,000 years. The dougong style features wooden brackets fixed layer upon layer between the top of a column and a crossbeam. This unique structural component of interlocking wooden brackets is one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese architecture.
Switzerland Pavilion
The design by Buchner Bründler Architects, a pavilion with soybean-fiber coverage and entertaining rooftop cable cars, focuses on the sustainable development as well as harmony and balance, which coincide with the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang. The most distinguished feature of the pavilion is the outside curtain, made from degradable soybeans and dye-sensitized solar cells that are capable of generating electricity. The curtain will present an image of forest, which will remind people of the nature and the fiber of the curtain could be degraded after being disposed in the soil in two week.
Quick Facts
