Shanghai World Expo 2010 - The European Pavilions Part I

The World Expo was an International Exposition started in Europe, and it is no wonder that over the years European nations have been its strongest supporters. This time it is no different, and the Europeans are out in full force. All the major countries are represented, including even some of the obscure ones. Unfortunately the European pavilions are some of the most popular at the Expo, and unless you are prepared to wait 3 to 4 hours it is impossible to get in. As I only had 2 days and didn't want to waste time (I'm not very good at waiting in line anyway !), I mostly enjoyed the pavilions from the outside. Here are some samples of my photos.

The Italian Pavilion. Like many other pavilions, this is essentially a decorated box. The entrance area is clad in glass, but the rest of the structure is in covered in stone. Architecturally there isn't much to talk about.


The French Pavilion. Another decorated box - this time clad in a structural external screen which is a popular architectural devide in the past decade. The screen has a curved lattice which makes it a little bit different, but other then that nothing too exciting.


Only through the screen can you see the scale of this huge structure. Look at the size of the figures !


The Polish Pavilion is also a decorated box - but what a beautiful box ! The skin is based on paper cut patterns which is a Polish folk tradition, and creates a cultural link to the Chinese who also have a strong paper cut tradition. I like the simple folded form and the ingenuity of using the beautiful patterns on the skin which would be familiar to any Chinese visitor. Based on some photos I've seen on the Net, these patterns are also reflected in the interior design and looks really beautiful. This pavilion is worth a visit if you can make time for it.


The Portugal Pavilion - clad in cork. It looks a bit like the Canadian Pavilion.


Wait for Part II of the European Pavilions.

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Comments

Thanks for this post. I definitely agree with what you are saying. I have been talking about this subject a lot lately with my mother so hopefully this will get him to see my point of view. Fingers crossed!

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