Expo 2010 - Shanghai, China

0 A 1 N 0 I 2 H C O I P EX NGHA A H S

EXPO 2010, CELEBRATING ‘BETTER CITY, BETTER LIVING’ IS TAKING PLACE AT SHANGHAI, CHINA, FROM 1 MAY TO 31 OCTOBER 2010

2010 comment on diverse cultures, economic prosperity and innovations in science and technology.

The Chinese and local Shanghainese authorities have gone to great lengths to make Expo 2010 the biggest and most spectacular Expo – daily visitor counts are high – with nearly half a million visitors in one day in early June and 12.3m visitors in the first six weeks alone!

Ireland’s participation is being led by the Department of the Taoiseach. OPW was asked by Government to design and manage the construction of the Ireland Pavilion and oversee the procurement and installation of the exhibit within the pavilion based on a theme statement provided by the Department of the

Over 70 million people are expected to attend, visiting

Taoiseach.

the pavilions of over 200 national participants, cities, shared and themed pavilions, together with a range of Chinese presentations.

The design for the Ireland Pavilion is intended to reflect the duality of the Irish experience and the interaction between urban and rural life, following the

The overall theme of Expo 2010 is ‘Better City, Better

Expo theme of “Better City , Better Life”.

Living’ which in short means the synergy of urban and rural living, future policy making, urban strategies and sustainable development. The sub-themes of Expo

Expo 2010 is divided into Continental Zones and the Ireland Pavilion is located in Zone C . Designed by Des Byrne, Senior Architect, with Michael Mescal,

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Images: Ireland Pavilion at night (above).

Irish dancing performance in the courtyard (opposite left).

LED lighting of façade (opposite right).

Architectural Graduate, the Pavilion is receiving very

pavilion) and the Expo plaza and buildings. Visitors

positive reviews locally. It is listed second as a ‘must

can rest/sit in these areas and watch the movement

see’ pavilion in the local newspaper China Daily as one

on the plaza and conversely the public moving along

of their suggestions to make the most of a once-in-a-

the plaza can see and interact with the exhibition/

lifetime experience of visiting Expo. In September the

visitors inside. At night, the pavilion is lit by the

Pavilion was one of just four national pavilions

internal lighting of the building/exhibition and by the

designated as a “Model Pavilion” by the Expo Bureau

continuous integrated LED lighting within the facade

on the basis of its design, exhibition, visitor service

which creates a changing multi-layered effect. The

and cultural programme

translucent lantern-like building reflects the fact that the Irish imagination has been shaped by the mercurial

The Ireland Pavilion consists of a series of semi-

light of an Atlantic climate. The Ireland Pavilion contains

translucent glazed volumes suspended over a plinth

13 galleries, a temporary exhibition centre, a courtyard

of grassed mounds and evokes the relationship

performance plaza and a hospitality suite for business

between urban and rural, man-made and natural

and promotional use.

,building and landscape. It is intended that the pavilion should create a calm but stimulating and

Mirroring the pavilion design, the exhibition at the

welcoming experience for the visitor to reflect the

Ireland Pavilion has been designed also to show

Irish experience, both urban and rural. The semi

the relationship between urban and rural, manmade

translucent facades are punctuated by four large

and natural, by setting the creativity of the Irish,

gable windows, occurring at the four corners of

their ancient history, vibrant modern culture, crafts,

the pavilion. This allows for interaction between the

and manufacturers, into the context of a small but

exhibition, the visitor (both inside and outside the

surprisingly varied and beautiful island. Chinese

Obair - June 2010

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