It's a Small World After All
Jun. 2nd, 2010 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peteryoungHave spent the day at the Shanghai 2010 Expo, my first, and I'm now very grateful someone actually pushed me into coming here. The basic idea is that nations use Expo to show off how creative and happy they are, and encourage tourism. Strangely, in the case of some countries this doesn't always work, or at least the idea gets somewhat confused. Most pavilions look like they'd be fun to visit, and in that respect each gives you an idea of how a country sees itself: inside the pavilions the message might be all warm and friendly but some exteriors give a distinctly less than welcoming appearance, and I'm thinking mostly of the UK, France and Germany here. As for the UK, the concept behind it was a clever one but visually, from the outside, I thought it had the worst appearance of all the pavilions I encountered.
the Chinese pavilion
Huge, imposing and doesn't fail to impress. It's here to stay after the Expo has finished in October.
the Malaysian pavilion
Full marks for elegance, colour, grace and style.
the Icelandic pavilion
Designed to look like a massive block of ice. Is this Icelandic humour? Seems to say "Frozen food available here."
the Ukranian pavilion
Some of the pavilions focus on the individual country's trade links with China, and the design of this one seems to follow that pattern.
the Thai pavilion
Classically Thai but for my taste too characteristically restrained and polite. I queued for half an hour to see how my adopted country would portray itself: in the three videos the pavilion shows "happiness" is still the order of the day in Thailand, as it always has been. They also go a little into how Thailand and China have a very long history of cultural trade. Not a huge amount of original thought went into these rather childish videos, but okay, one was in 3D. A bit of a disappointment.
the Turkish pavilion
With obligatory corner café.
the New Zealand pavilion
One of the most popular, if the press releases are anything to go by.
the Saudi Arabian pavilion
Modern, bright and airy, the only pavilion with palm trees. Based on the concept of an oasis with the trees on the roof, I expect there's also a swimming pool up there (staffed by Indian waiters, of course).
the UK pavilion
The queue for the UK Pavilion was massive, which put me off going inside, but, when seen from the outside, 99.9% of those people queueing will have no idea what GCHQ is or why the soulless appearance of this pavilion somehow reminds me of it – instead of Kew Gardens which was actually the designer's intention. From the outside it resembles a secret military establishment, or perhaps a nuclear fallout shelter. I wonder what on Earth was influencing the designers' thought processes when they chose their colour scheme.
The 'Seed Cathedral' designed by Thomas Heatherwick. The concept and execution of it is admirably far-sighted, the end result is visually dull but relies on us all going "Ah yes, of course!" when we piece it all together in our heads and then hopefully follow it up with "How cool", even though 'Cool Britannia' was so 1990s.
Some of the surveillance cameras that inevitably surround the UK Pavilion. Okay, they're everywhere at Expo too, but it's odd how very New Labour they look next to the depressing UK pavilion.
An inexpressive neutral grey is definitely the order of the day for the UK. Perhaps the exterior is meant to represent the national psyche, like almost every other pavilion here tries to do for their populations.
the Irish pavilion
Somehow looks like a glass shipping container. Below it, surrounding it and connecting it to the ground on the far side are very steep, almost vertical slopes covered in grass, complete with 'Keep Off The Grass' signs. I kid you not. No comment.
the Polish pavilion
Covered in hundreds of 2-metre square wooden stencils.
the Norwegian pavilion
Where is everybody?
the Australian pavilion
Going for the chunky Ayers Rock look.
the German pavilion
Somehow resembling and angular battleship, very teutonically efficient in its design (form still following function, and all that) and, like the UK Pavilion, still as dull as ditchwater. The only real surprise is the typeface isn't Helvetica.
the Nepalese pavilion
Comes in two parts, one a giant metallic stupa (in the background) that unfortunately looks like a Hong Kong Disneyland ride, plus an impressive purpose-built Nepalese style country residence. The Budweiser umbrellas out front kind of ruin the effect somewhat.
the Swiss pavilion
Not sure refugees and immigrants would agree about 'Easy Access'.
the Danish pavilion
Everyone hangin' out on the roof being cool. Nice one.
the Spanish pavilion
Only the country that produced Dali and Picasso could do something as barking mad as covering a non-angular building with wicker floor mats and get away with it. Wonderfully creative, gets my Number 2 vote.
the South Korean pavilion
This pavilion gets my vote for the most creative and impressive. It's a stunning concept (go here for all the details): it's actually a 'pixelation' of the Korean alphabet, something that has not only determined the shape of the building but also incorporates a map of Seoul on the floor area, which then determines the path people take through the pavilion. It also incorporates a large stage in the centre for music and traditional Korean dance (but when I passed, the stage was empty and they were playing a Brand New Heavies CD). The exterior has to be seen to be believed: it's incredibly detailed throughout, and it's pretty mind-boggling how the exterior and interior have been brought together into a conceptual whole. Brilliant.
Plenty more photos at my Flickr photostream.
the Chinese pavilion
Huge, imposing and doesn't fail to impress. It's here to stay after the Expo has finished in October.
the Malaysian pavilion
Full marks for elegance, colour, grace and style.
the Icelandic pavilion
Designed to look like a massive block of ice. Is this Icelandic humour? Seems to say "Frozen food available here."
the Ukranian pavilion
Some of the pavilions focus on the individual country's trade links with China, and the design of this one seems to follow that pattern.
the Thai pavilion
Classically Thai but for my taste too characteristically restrained and polite. I queued for half an hour to see how my adopted country would portray itself: in the three videos the pavilion shows "happiness" is still the order of the day in Thailand, as it always has been. They also go a little into how Thailand and China have a very long history of cultural trade. Not a huge amount of original thought went into these rather childish videos, but okay, one was in 3D. A bit of a disappointment.
the Turkish pavilion
With obligatory corner café.
the New Zealand pavilion
One of the most popular, if the press releases are anything to go by.
the Saudi Arabian pavilion
Modern, bright and airy, the only pavilion with palm trees. Based on the concept of an oasis with the trees on the roof, I expect there's also a swimming pool up there (staffed by Indian waiters, of course).
the UK pavilion
The queue for the UK Pavilion was massive, which put me off going inside, but, when seen from the outside, 99.9% of those people queueing will have no idea what GCHQ is or why the soulless appearance of this pavilion somehow reminds me of it – instead of Kew Gardens which was actually the designer's intention. From the outside it resembles a secret military establishment, or perhaps a nuclear fallout shelter. I wonder what on Earth was influencing the designers' thought processes when they chose their colour scheme.
The 'Seed Cathedral' designed by Thomas Heatherwick. The concept and execution of it is admirably far-sighted, the end result is visually dull but relies on us all going "Ah yes, of course!" when we piece it all together in our heads and then hopefully follow it up with "How cool", even though 'Cool Britannia' was so 1990s.
Some of the surveillance cameras that inevitably surround the UK Pavilion. Okay, they're everywhere at Expo too, but it's odd how very New Labour they look next to the depressing UK pavilion.
An inexpressive neutral grey is definitely the order of the day for the UK. Perhaps the exterior is meant to represent the national psyche, like almost every other pavilion here tries to do for their populations.
the Irish pavilion
Somehow looks like a glass shipping container. Below it, surrounding it and connecting it to the ground on the far side are very steep, almost vertical slopes covered in grass, complete with 'Keep Off The Grass' signs. I kid you not. No comment.
the Polish pavilion
Covered in hundreds of 2-metre square wooden stencils.
the Norwegian pavilion
Where is everybody?
the Australian pavilion
Going for the chunky Ayers Rock look.
the German pavilion
Somehow resembling and angular battleship, very teutonically efficient in its design (form still following function, and all that) and, like the UK Pavilion, still as dull as ditchwater. The only real surprise is the typeface isn't Helvetica.
the Nepalese pavilion
Comes in two parts, one a giant metallic stupa (in the background) that unfortunately looks like a Hong Kong Disneyland ride, plus an impressive purpose-built Nepalese style country residence. The Budweiser umbrellas out front kind of ruin the effect somewhat.
the Swiss pavilion
Not sure refugees and immigrants would agree about 'Easy Access'.
the Danish pavilion
Everyone hangin' out on the roof being cool. Nice one.
the Spanish pavilion
Only the country that produced Dali and Picasso could do something as barking mad as covering a non-angular building with wicker floor mats and get away with it. Wonderfully creative, gets my Number 2 vote.
the South Korean pavilion
This pavilion gets my vote for the most creative and impressive. It's a stunning concept (go here for all the details): it's actually a 'pixelation' of the Korean alphabet, something that has not only determined the shape of the building but also incorporates a map of Seoul on the floor area, which then determines the path people take through the pavilion. It also incorporates a large stage in the centre for music and traditional Korean dance (but when I passed, the stage was empty and they were playing a Brand New Heavies CD). The exterior has to be seen to be believed: it's incredibly detailed throughout, and it's pretty mind-boggling how the exterior and interior have been brought together into a conceptual whole. Brilliant.
Plenty more photos at my Flickr photostream.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-02 05:26 pm (UTC)Spanish one also looks interesting, as does the Polish.
Suspect the UK one really needs lots of clear space around it to be visually impressive (as with so many buildings)
no subject
Date: 2010-06-02 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-02 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-03 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-03 12:27 am (UTC)that's mighty impressive!
what happens to this place, these buildings, when the expo is over?
no subject
Date: 2010-06-03 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-03 01:58 am (UTC)The Australian one appears to be combining the concepts of Uluru with rusted corrugated iron, which at least is traditional I suppose.