NUSSLI completed its building projects on the Expo 2010 grounds on schedule in the week before the opening of the World Expo in Shanghai. The globally operating exhibition constructor was responsible for the construction of three pavilions and two exhibitions. On May 1, 2010, Expo 2010 opened its doors to the world.
Expo 2010 in Shanghai will outshine all of the previously initiated World Expos: China expects no fewer than 70 million visitors, who will be able to directly experience over 240 exhibitors on a total area of 5 million square meters from May 1 - October 31. As a nation with a population that exceeds 1 billion, China knows from experience the problems posed by urban cohabitation better than any other country. With exactly this fundamental future issue against the backdrop of growing mega cities in mind, the World Expo approaches the theme under the title "Better City, Better Life".
More exhibitors than ever before present their vision of better urban living in elaborately designed pavilions. With Germany, Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the cities of Bilbao and Venice, a total of five participants relied on NUSSLI, their partner in pavilion construction, to transform their spectacular ideas into exceptional reality. The experience from previous World Expos qualifies NUSSLI for the architecturally and functionally sophisticated and unique projects.
With its pavilion, Germany wants to personify the existing diversity and contrast of German cities. Together with the architects from Schmidhuber + Kaindl and the exhibition designers from Milla & Partner, NUSSLI was entrusted with the realization of the German presentation in Shanghai by the Koelnmesse International trade fair organizer on commission by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. NUSSLI was responsible for the construction of the pavilion and the exhibition. Under the title "balancity" Germany stresses how important balance will be in the city of the future – for instance between tradition and innovation, between conservation and renewal, between work and leisure, or between society and the individual. The key concept can be encountered and experienced by the visitor throughout the entire German pavilion.
The Swiss pavilion stands to its national roots and consequently successfully discusses the subject of the interaction between city and country. Switzerland unites state-of-the-art innovation with traditional rural living environments and values like hardly any other country. In January 2009, Präsenz Schweiz contracted NUSSLI with the construction of the pavilion and the exhibition, as well as the work planning in China. The exterior shell of the pavilion plays with these contradictions. A 17-meter-high hanging facade comprising 11,000 interactive cells envelops the building. The interior presents the Swiss self-image and the future visions of the Alpine nation – the visitors are transported to the greened roof of the pavilion in proper style: with a chair lift.
A smaller, but in no way less sophisticated project, was realized by NUSSLI with the pavilion and exhibition construction for the self-assured small state of Liechtenstein. The special feature: in addition to the two-story pavilion at the Expo, a copy will be located at home in Vaduz, where the people of Liechtenstein can get a glimpse of the Expo in the form of a video. The theme "Dialogue and Respect" is the focus of the pavilion, which illustrates Liechtenstein's role in the world in a multifaceted 2 / 2 portrayal. NUSSLI is also involved as the implementing company for the pavilion construction in Vaduz.
Superior despite their small size were the presentations of the Spanish city of Bilbao and the Italian city of Venice. As installations implemented in existing exhibition halls, the focus of the presentations includes art objects and multimedia projections, which express the lifestyles of the municipalities. The cities commissioned NUSSLI with the permit management, work planning, and detailed planning for their exhibitions.
With the realization of the three pavilions and the two exhibitions, NUSSLI was represented on both sides of the Huangpu River. All five projects – which were the ultimate in diversity and excitement – demanded the full creative power of NUSSLI in areas like planning, production, logistics, and assembly. The company sent around 50 in-house staff members to Shanghai to execute the projects and engaged an additional 600 local workers. NUSSLI installed a total of around 2,500 tons of steel and 70,000 square meters of plasterboard. In addition to the construction of the pavilions for Germany, Switzerland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein and the exhibitions for Bilbao and Venice, NUSSLI was responsible for the site supervision of the construction for the exhibitions of the Egyptian cities Cairo and Alexandria. The event contractor also built an exhibit for the Belgian pavilion.
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