The Swedish Pavilion, designed by SWECO, has the theme ‘Spirit of Innovation’ and celebrates nature as a source of creativity. The country draws innovative inspiration from the frontier between urban and rural life, and such zones of productive encounter have guided the pavilion design, which is conceived as a meeting place rather than a display area.
The exhibition introduces Swedish creativity from the cartoon Pippi Longstocking to the chemist Alfred Nobel, along with intelligent and environmentally-appropriate solutions to urban problems in areas such as water supply, indoor-climate, energy, waste disposal, and transport.
The US$25 million Spanish Pavilion, themed ‘Habitable Constructions’, has been designed by Catalan EMBT Miralles-Tagliabue in tiger-patterned wickerwork style, alluding to the Chinese animal zodiac and traditional craft traditions shared by Spain and China. The structure’s glass and tubular metallic skeleton supports a paneled superstructure built from a variety of sustainable materials, including wicker, bamboo, and semi-transparent paper. Large patio break from conventional box form to facilitate visitor flow.
The exhibition, organized by movie directors Bigas Luna, Basilio Martín Patino and Isabel Coixet, has three principal divisions: ‘From Nature to City’; ‘From Our Parents’ City to Our Current One’; and ‘From the Current City to the Future One’. Spanish cities Madrid, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Zaragoza and Barcelona are featured in the pavilion, among attractions that range from a replica of Gaudi’s Dragon and flamenco concerts to an authentic Spanish tapas bar.
For more info on the China expo you can find it on the that’s PRD website.