Research and Other Investigations from China

2010 Shanghai World Expo: Lighting Up the Night

October 7, 2010

2010 Shanghai Expo England Pavilion

After visiting the 2010 Shanghai World Expo last week, I decided that the night time is definitely the right time to visit. During the day the crowds were overbearing and most of the pavilions less than enchanting. However, when the sun goes down, the expo turns into a festival of lights. Some of the clear architectural winners in my book were the Spanish, Korean, Nepalese and Danish with the UK Pavilion taking the gold. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the six-story structure is stuck like a pincushion with 60,000 willowy rods that glow and quaver in the breeze. The rods extend from the interior where at the root of each a plant seed is seamlessly inserted. The UK Pavilion is supposed to reflect the British love for gardens and emphasize the need for green space in cities. You can read more about the concept on the UK Pavilion homepage.

2010 Shanghai Expo China Pavilion and Expo Axis

2010 Shanghai Expo Germany Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo Finland Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo Spain Pavilion

2010 Shanghai Expo Singapore Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo Denmark Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo Denmark Pavilion

2010 Shanghai Expo Axis2010 Shanghai Expo Culture Center2010 Shanghai Expo Latvia Pavilion

2010 Shanghai Expo Korea Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo Serbia Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo New Zealand Pavilion

2010 Shanghai Expo Nepal Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo UK Pavilion2010 Shanghai Expo China and Israel Pavilion