In 1976, Centre Pompidou in Paris, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, turned the building inside out and made utility ductworks part of the architectural expression. It was unprecedented thus a breakthrough in the field of architecture.

In 2010, we will have gone through a long period of rapid technological advancement and the amount of infrastructure in a building will have dramatically increased to the point that technologies are today’s basic building blocks. For Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at the World Expo, we would like to manifest this observation in our design: the interior spaces of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion, which are shaped as a series of free, flowing forms, will be no longer enclosed by walls of the static kind but a dense, cubic volume of infrastructural network, including LED lights and mist making system, which are capable of changing the appearance of the building from one moment to another as programmed through computer.

However, our design is not embracing technology for the technology’s sake. Rather, we like to convey visually the spirit of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion, the dream of a brighter future, through sophisticated technologies. Technology is about the enrichment of imagination and symbolic of the industry and industrialism of Shanghai. Also through technology, we like to address the pressing issue of energy and sustainability. A part of the architectural infrastructure is designated for the solar energy harvesting and rain water collecting，and the external facade will be made of recycled plastic

World Expo is always a window to the future. Shanghai, as a historically progressive yet still fast developing international metropolis, has been all along the embodiment of this forward looking optimism. As architects, we take the special occasion offered by the World Expo 2010 to solute Shanghai, a great city of the 21st Century, through our architectural design.

Technological Detail and Environmental Protection

1. Solar Energy System

The Shanghai Corporate Pavilion features a 1600m2 solar heat-collecting tube on the roof. These solar tube can collect solar energy to produce hot water up to 95°C. Ultra-low temperature power generation techology, a novel way to generate electricity through solar power. The power generated using this technology can be used for both the exposition and for every day.

2. Recycled Plastic materials
Shanghai produces nearly 30 million of waste CDs every year, and only 25% of them are reclaimed and recycled. If these CDs were reclaimed and washed, they could be used to produce polycarbonate granules and manufacture more polycarbonate plastic products. The external facade materials of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion will use polycarbonate transparent plastic tubes to create its dreamlike appearance. After the Expo, also plastic tubes can be easily recycled to reduce social wastage.

3. Water/mist System

For the Shanghai Corporate pavilion, rainwater will be collected and recycled. After such treatment as sedimentation, filtration and storage, rainwater can be used for daily purposes at the pavilion and for the “mist” in particular. The mist can lower the temperature, purify the air and create a comfortable climate in pavilion. The spray can also be used to form various patterns under ceiling of entrance hall and make the overall appearance of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion fresh and elegant

Client: SHANGHAI GUOSHENG GROUP CO., LTD.
Pricinples: Yung Ho CHANG
Project Architect: Zang Feng
Project Team: Wang Siuming, Liu Lubin, Wang kuan, James Shen,Qiu Yukui, Liang Xiaoning, Wang Lin, Wu Xia, Zhang Minghui, Wu Jie, Chen Guannan, Tang Hung Fai
Consultants: Center for Engineering Design and Research under the Headquarters of General Equipment
Structure and Material: Steel
Building Area: 4949 sq. meters
Design Period: 2008-2009
Construction Period: 2009-2010

The Pavilion of Ideas, designed by Heatherwick 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 – to becomes the winner. The pavilion looks like a box with thousands of spines that hover without visible support above a public square.

All the spines, which can swing in the breeze, are tipped with tiny colored light sources which can display a variety of images together.

Inside the pavilion, visitors will see an enormous digital screen showing various contents. The outside area of the pavilion will be an exhibition space and auditorium as well as a cafe and shops surrounded by two strips 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.

Seen at Archtracker.