The preliminary design plans for the China Pavilion at Shanghai
World Expo 2010 have been selected from a star-studded
international architectural field.
The showcase area will host exhibitions based on the theme
"Chinese wisdom in urban development," organizers told a meeting of
the China Pavilion's preparation committee in Beijing
yesterday.
The design for the China Pavilion was chosen from 344 entries
submitted from all over the world and will be based on traditional
Chinese style, the organizers said.
However, the winning designer's name was not released.
Construction of the pavilion, regarded as one of the most
important venues in the Expo site, will begin next month.
While the Chinese organizers are fast-tracking preparations,
more than 350 Expo delegates are in Shanghai for the second annual
participants' meeting to hear a progress report and step up their
own plans.
Shanghai Expo now has 180 countries and international
organizations officially signed up for the 184-day event, which
begins on May 1, 2010.
Organizers will try and fill another 20 positions to achieve
their goal of attracting more than 200 participants, making the
event the biggest on record.
Five new entrants have already signed participation contracts
and more are expected during the two-day annual meeting in
Shanghai.
More than 40 countries have chosen to design and build their own
national pavilions, said Zhou Hanmin, deputy director general of
the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.
So far, four countries - Britain, Switzerland, Luxembourg and
Spain - have unveiled design plans for their national pavilions to
the public.
The key to attracting international participation this year has
been guaranteeing better services, organizers said.
A trial area to provide more specific construction information
for participants is near completion and ready for delegates to
inspect.
The model area has everything from pavilions and elevated
pedestrian ways to landscaping and toilets so organizers can
pinpoint any problems builders may face.
Among the Expo's highlights will be the Urban Best Practices
Area which will feature more than 30 cities from a field of
100-plus candidates.
The Expo mascot and its related products, which are under the
intellectual protection rights registration process, will be
unveiled next month.
China is going all out to promote the event. Organizers launched
the World Expo tour exhibition in Shanghai to mark the 1,000-day
countdown to the opening of the event on August 5.
The exhibition, showcasing Shanghai Expo preparations and the
history of World Expo, has attracted more than 350,000 visitors in
Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing and Hangzhou.
Now the show is making a seven-day stop in Chongqing, one of the
four municipalities of China.
(Shanghai Daily November 25, 2007)
