The New Zealand Pavilion at Expo 2010

January 27, 2010

The New Zealand Pavilion

Along with an exhibition space that marries the theme of the World expo Shanghai 2010 – “Better City, Better Life” – with the nature and culture of New Zealand, the New Zealand Pavilion will include VIP visitor facilities where New Zealand businesses and organisations can host actual or prospective customers and clients. It will also provide a platform to promote tourism, education and sister city activities.

The world expo 2010 theme, “Better City, Better Life”, highlights the new thinking, new technologies and new practices for achieving healthy and sustainable urban living. Aligned with these concepts, the New Zealand Pavilion will follow the theme, “Cities of Nature, Living between Land and Sky”.

The aim of the pavilion is to present a welcoming vision of a nation that is striving to bring its cities into a sustainable balance with nature; a country in which natural beauty, the inspiration that it brings, and the lifestyles that it permits, can exist alongside and contribute to a modern and innovative first world economy.

In its form and content the pavilion takes inspiration from the Maori creation story in which the god Tane separated his parents, the Sky and the Earth, to create space both for the natural world and for human beings.

The visitor experience will focus on the constant presence of nature in New Zealand’s urban life and the benefits which it brings – in terms of inspiration and the encouragement of innovation in business, art and culture, in our economy, and in our everyday lifestyle.

The location

The expo Shangai 2010 will be held on a 528 hectare site located between the Nanpu and Lupu Bridges along both sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai.

The pavilion will be located in one of the prime sites at the expo, close to the host country's pavilion and alongside the enormous theme pavilion. It will be adjacent to the main walkway and will be seen by virtually every visitor to the expo.

The design

The winning tender for the design and build of the New Zealand Pavilion was submitted by a consortium comprised of international project management company Coffey Projects, architects Warren and Mahoney, visitor experience specialists Story Inc, quantity surveyors Rider Levett Bucknall leading garden designer Kim Jarrett, and technical integration company Toulouse Ltd, with engineers Beca joining the team.

The distinctive wedge-shaped pavilion will have a projected capacity of 40,000 visitors per day. It will cover approximately 75 percent of a 2000- square-metre corner site, close to both the China Pavilion and the China Theme Pavilion, and beside the main elevated walkway.

The Pavilion will comprise four visitor experience areas, described below.

Welcome space

The front entrance to the world expo Shanghai 2010 pavilion is a welcoming veranda, a lofty canopy supported by a forest of pillars interspersed with shorter pou (pillars), many of them interactive, providing shelter for visitors watching cultural performances and queuing for entry to the interior.

Cities of Nature experience

Inside the wedge, visitors will walk along a winding ramp that gradually rises up, taking them through a “day in the life” of a New Zealand family in a composite New Zealand city in a natural setting: from the mountains to the sea, past farmlands and bush and back towards the mountains, through a beachhouse, a school classroom and an office building.

The journey will ask the question “what is a ‘better life’?” and give some possible answers in a series of sequences that look at different aspects of our “cities of nature”. Each sequence will consist of audio-visual projections, graphics, lighting and set elements.

Garden and wild places walk

Visitors will exit the Cities of Nature experience near the top of the wedge, and will then walk back down towards the veranda area through a garden planted with New Zealand trees and flowers, and making use of sculptural elements, audio and lighting.

VIP experience

An elegant mezzanine hospitality area located on the east side of the pavilion will be capable of hosting up to 40 guests for formal dining, or 80 for cocktail functions. It will also include a separate meeting / dining room for up to 12 people.

Topics : New Zealand Pavilion at the World Expo Shanghai 2010 China. Source: New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

New Zealand at Shanghai World Expo 2010

The World Expo to be held in Shanghai, China in 2010 will be the biggest in world history. During the six months the Expo will be open - 1 May to 31 October 2010 - it is expected to draw 70 million visitors.

This presents an opportunity for New Zealand to make a favourable impression to a huge audience in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The New Zealand Pavilion, now nearing completion at the Expo site and the Expo Business Programme, are designed to meet this goal.

The 2010 World Expo Shanghai and the New Zealand Pavilion offers New Zealand businesses the opportunity develop and build international relationships in China, and host their guests in an environment that features a unique showcase of New Zealand culture, innovation and technology.

In this section, learn about the New Zealand Pavilion at the World Expo Shangai 2010 and how to utilise New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Expo Business Programme, get booking details and information to help you plan your visit to Expo and China, meet some of the New Zealand Pavilion sponsors, and find news and updates about New Zealand's participation at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Topics : New Zealand at the World Expo Shanghai 2010. Source: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Vale appointed official sponsor of Brazil Pavilion

Brazil Pavilion News - World Expo Shanghai 2010 :

Vale, a Brazil-based multinational mining corporation, has been appointed as an official sponsor of the Brazil Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo Shangai.

As the largest supplier of iron ore to China, Vale has eight joint ventures with Chinese companies in pellet-making, nickel and coal.

With the theme "Pulsing Cities: Feel the Life of Brazilian Cities," the Brazil Pavilion will use video screens to show a panoramic image of its cities, traditional festivities as well as its famous football sports as the host country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The pavilion at The World Expo Shanghai 2010 will highlight the transformation of Brazilian cities in search of urban solutions that result in sustainable development and wellbeing for citizens.

It will be covered by green intersecting wooden lacework.

Topoics : Brazil Pavilion News, World Expo Shanghai 2010 China, Exposition Shangai 2010. Source: Expo2010.cn

New Zealand recounts Maori myth in dream journey

New Zealand World Expo Shanghai 2010 News : New Zealand's team finally unveiled the country's Expo 2010 pavilion's exhibition design - a dream-like journey about the Maori story of creation.

The pavilion's theme, "Cities of Nature: Living between Land and Sky," was inspired by the Maori creation story of Tane (the forest god), who separated his parents Rangi and Papa (Sky Father and Earth Mother) to create the world in which we live.

Architecturally, the wedge-shaped pavilion extends the story into a three act play – the welcoming space (plaza), the interior, and the rooftop garden, said Dean Cato, director of Story Inc, creator of "The Lord of the Rings" international touring exhibition.

The dream team of New Zealand's award-winning designers comprises Story Inc, Plan 9, the music composer for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and Kim Jarrett, greens master for King Kong.

Through a wide range of artistic and aesthetic devices including screen towers, soundtracks and garden greenery, the titans of New Zealand's film industry are bringing to life the Maori story reprised in modern New Zealand "cities of nature."

The heart of the pavilion is a 1.8-ton pounamu (jade) boulder.

"We invite visitors to come and touch the precious stone," said Phillip Gibson, New Zealand commissioner general for the Expo.

"As visitors touch the precious stone, they will be touching the heart of New Zealand."


The pounamu symbolizes the convergence of two jade cultures, as the Chinese and indigenous Maori of New Zealand share a common reverence for jade.

The welcoming space in front of the pavilion is a physical manifestation of Rangi and Papa. The white canopy in the plaza representing Sky is supported by white pillars that represent a vertical forest. It is erected on the forecourt that symbolizes Earth.

Starting with a little girl's dream of Rangi and Papa when dawn breaks in her bedroom at Auckland Harbour, visitors will touch upon some common scenes in New Zealanders' life.

The chronological journey starts at dawn and ends at dusk, traversing the seasons from spring to winter and moving along various landscapes from the sea to the mountain, with suburbs and cities in between.

Walking along the gently sloping walkway, visitors will see the girl's mother making breakfast in a beach house, the girl drawing her dream at school and the girl's father at work. The final station is a New Zealand house in the hillside, where the girl is showing her parents and grandparents her drawing of the creation story.

This "day-in-the-life" journey is beautifully complemented by a rhythm soundtrack across the entire interior of the pavilion and melody soundtracks along each of the five stations. The soundtracks are composed by New Zealand's award-winning Plan 9, which composed the music of "The One Ring" for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

The pavilion's rooftop garden is designed by Dawnfinder, New Zealand's renowned design duo of Kim Jarrett and Tina Hart specializing in gardens and landscapes. Jarrett was the greens master for "King Kong," constructing prehistoric jungles, swamps, and coast lines for the movie shot in Wellington.

There will be the Gondwanaland in the garden. The land was first created by the separation of Rangi and Papa at the dawn of time, and will feature ponga (tree ferns) shipped from New Zealand.

Visitors will then walk by a thermal lake, which is common in the Rotorua region in the North Island of New Zealand. Mist, steam, and air cannons will create the illusion of hot water bubbling in the thermal lake, which is from the korokoro (throat) of Ruaumoko, the youngest son of Rangi and Papa and the god of the underworld, according to the Maori myth.

Walking down the pathway visitors will encounter the forest valley and the South Pacific Sanctuary, featuring a planted arbour that uses Maori weaving techniques,

The pathway will end with a Pohutukawa tree. The Pohutukawa tree, which blooms with red flowers in December, has become synonymous with the New Zealand Christmas.

The budget of the pavilion is US$25 million.

Topics : New Zealand Pavilion at World Expo Shanghai 2010, The World Exposition Shanghai China 2010, Expo Shangai 2010. Source: Expo2010.cn

Mayor's city priorities: a great Expo, wider service economy

World Expor Shanghai 2010 News : Shanghai should make sure the 2010 World Expo, the 7th Exposition World in China, is a success and transform the city's economy, while improving people's living standards, social harmony and stability, Mayor Han Zheng said yesterday.

Addressing the annual session of the Shanghai People's Congress, Han told the SPC deputies that the city's economy is picking up steadily and is in a critical moment after withstanding the global financial crisis last year.

The city has set this year's growth target for gross domestic product at 8 percent as the government hopes to improve the quality of the local economy and secure a steady recovery.

"In 2009, Shanghai's economy experienced difficulties and challenges of unprecedented intensity, severity and complexity ever since we launched the reform and opening up of the Pudong New Area," said Han in his government work report to the opening session.

"In this situation, the city's economic performance in 2009 is better than it had been expected at the beginning of the year."

Shanghai achieved a gross domestic product growth of 8.2 percent last year.

Among other projections proposed by the city government for this year are an 8 percent rise in fiscal revenue, a registered unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, and environmental protection investment equivalent to 3 percent of the city's total GDP, Han said.

The SPC is the city's top legislative body, comprising 800-plus deputies from all walks of life. They gather at the beginning of each year to discuss the city's key government policies and social and economic development issues.

Han told the deputies that the top task for this year is to hold a successful World Expo.

"Every citizen will be encouraged to contribute to the World Expo Shangai 2010 and act as hospitable, friendly and good-mannered hosts," Han said.

He stressed safety is the most basic precondition of a successful Expo Shangai 2010. Food and drug safety need to be guaranteed.

The extended parts of Metro Line 2 and Metro Line 10 will be operating in the Expo year, making the total length of Metro lines 430 kilometers. In addition, construction will start on the second phase of the north part and the south part of Metro Line 11, Metro Line 12 and the first phase of Metro Line 13.

Another key task for the government, Han said, is to speed up development of a modern service industry.

He said Shanghai should continue to build itself into an international financial center and international shipping center. The government encourages development of professional service industries, such as accounting, law service and evaluation, information service, new media and the cartoon industry.

Companies are encouraged to use initiative to develop high-tech products.

The government will direct companies to increase investment in research and development by adopting incentive policies such as purchasing locally innovated products, according to Han.

As for the people's well-being, Han said the government will focus on solving issues related to employment, social insurance and housing.

Also attending the session were 34 resident representatives invited by the SPC.

Shi Weiguo, a junior from Tongji University, said the mayor's report covered topics he is keen to learn about, including the development of university students' job markets and government transparency.

Li Yin, a citizen representative from Shanghai University, said she has received more than 30 text messages and five calls so far, inquiring about government's plans regarding the real estate market, medical services, traffic, infrastructure and education.

"I am proud and excited to be one of the representatives of the city residents," Li said. "I will do my utmost to act as the bridge linking the general public and the government."

Topics : World Expo Shainghai 2010, The 7th World Exposition Shanghai China 2010, Expo Shangai 2010. Source: Shanghai Daily

Expo site construction nears completion

January 5, 2010

With only 117 days to go before the world fair opens, most pavilions at the Expo site have been completed or are nearly finished.

The Expo center and the Theme Pavilion have celebrated their completion, while construction on the other permanent structures - the China Pavilion, Expo Boulevard and Expo Performance Center - will soon be finished.

About 70 percent of the 42 self-built pavilions have started interior decoration and exhibition arrangements, which are expected to be finished by the end of March.

Source: China Pavilion, World Expo Shanghai 2010, The 7th World Exposition 2010 Shanghai, expo shangai 2010 China at expo2010.cn

Expo Shanghai float impresses Rose Parade watchers

Hundreds of thousands of spectators burst into cheers when the Shanghai Expo float debuted on the 121-year-old Pasadena Rose Parade, one of most traditional New Year celebrations in the United States.

Excited audiences hailing “Jackie, Jackie” when the Expo float with action film star Jackie Chan on it veered into Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, the main street of the 10-kilometer parade route, at about 9:40am.

Chan, also a Shanghai Expo image ambassador, joined the US Commissioner General Jose Villarreal and Jim Lefebvre, Chinese baseball team coach during the Olympics, to wave to watching crowd along the street throughout the 2-hour float trip.

Yao Ming, Shanghai’s NBA star and another Expo ambassador, at the last minute cancelled his plan to get onto the vehicle to protect his left foot recovering from an operation in July. Previous Chinese reports said he was not allowed to stand for more than 10 minutes. Yao watched the parade along the road with the excited audiences.

“It’s a pity that Yao Ming couldn’t make his appearance, but those roller-skating kids really stunt us,” said Grace Esplin, a California-native parade watcher. “Look at their beautiful costumes… those kids are so talented.”

Consisting 80 Shanghai pupils, the roller-skaters dressed in blue Shanghai Expo mascot “Haibao” costumes with colorful gauzy wings taxied in front of the 16.80-meter-long and 11-meter-high float, dancing and performing.

Air-inflated “haibao” with real person acting inside also join the parade by marching and amusing the audience around the Shanghai float.

The Roundtable Southern California Chinese-American Organization, the Shanghai float sponsor, managed to raise US$350,000 for the Expo-themed vehicle to join another 40 floats, 22 marching bands and 23 equestrian units in this year’s Rose Parade.

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the captain who became a US national hero after landing a malfunctioned jetliner on New York's Hudson River, was selected as Grand Marshal this year to lead the New Year celebration parade.

Street sidewalks along the route in Pasadena were also staked by thousands of people who arrived at the southern California city about one day before and stayed overnight outside for a better viewing point.

The parade is scheduled to be shown on Shanghai Dragon TV at 9:15pm today. (Jan. 3)

Source: Expo 2010 Parade, The 7th World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China, Expo Shangai 2010 China, World Expo Shanghai 2010 at expo2010.cn