Britain has chosen a fascinating cube design with space-age
lighting for its national pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai,
British Consul-General in Shanghai Carma Elliot announced
yesterday.
The Pavilion of Ideas, designed by Heatherwich Studio, beat five
other short-listed designs, including plans put forward by the
creators of the London Eye - the largest Ferris wheel in the
world.
The design was also voted the favorite by Shanghai residents who
visited an exhibition of the six finalists' designs in the city
last month, said Elliot.
The pavilion looks like a box with thousands of spines that
hover without visible support above a public square.
All the spines, which sway in the breeze, are tipped with tiny
colored lights that can display a variety of images.
"The image can be changed every day or every week. If people
love to see David Beckham, we will show Beckham's picture. If Louis
Hamilton wins the F1 Championship, maybe we will show Hamilton,"
said Elliot.
Inside the pavilion, visitors will see an enormous digital
screen showing various images. Outside the pavilion will be an
exhibition space and auditorium, with a cafe and shops surrounded
by two ramparts of grass.
The pavilion will be as ecological as possible, and the
designers are trying to make all the aspects recyclable and
carbon-neutral. It is light, without heavy concrete foundations,
and will "touch the ground softly," according to the introduction
by Heatherwich.
Elliot said the pavilion will have unique effects in the
daytime, although it will become much more exciting at night.
(Shanghai Daily September 22, 2007)
