Photos courtesy of Nussli Group.
 |
|
|
|
| Theme: Rural and Urban Interaction |
Client: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA |
| Fabrication: Nussli Ltd. |
Design: Buchner Brundler AG Architekten BSA |
| Size: 43,055 square feet |
|
Click On Photos For
More Info
 |
Exterior Design: Wrapping its pavilion in a veil made of woven aluminum, biodegradable soybeans, and dye-sensitized solar cells, the Swiss show how sustainable technology can also be scintillating: The materials used in its manufacture absorb energy from sources as powerful as the sun or as puny as the flash on visitors’ cameras. After soaking up these fuels, the crimson-colored cells randomly flash with bursts of white light, turning the facade into a shimmering work of sequin-like art. As Green as the forest imagery it’s imprinted with, the curtain is also engineered to biodegrade within a matter of weeks after Expo.
Pavilion Summary: Mixing the the geography of the Swiss Alps with the philosophy of yin and yang, Switzerland’s pavilion links the seeming opposites of urban and natural spaces. Once visitors pass through the biodegradable cloak that drapes over the exterior, they enter on a curving 9.9-foot-wide pathway that ushers them into the structure. Along the way, 50 binocular-like viewing stations offer three types of “mini-stories” that use 3-D images to detail Switzerland’s solutions to the challenges of maintaining clean air, pure water, and reliable public transportation. Once inside, attendees can view an IMAX movie called “The Alps,” where the county’s renowned mountain scenery sprawls over a 33-foot-high screen. Nearby, life size rectangular screens present 12 Swiss citizens reflecting on their visions of the future. To escape the hubbub — or yin— of noise and crowds, visitors can then board a chair lift, which transports them away from the urban pressures to an oasis of calm — the yang — on the pavilion’s roof. The 10-minute ride transports them up through the pavilion and over a rooftop expanse of fragrant grasses and verdant plants from which attendees can view the expo and Shanghai itself from the perspective of a soaring bird.
|
