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EXPO
BETTER CITY,
BETTER LIFE
Almost 200 countries are
exhibiting at the 2010 World
Expo in Shanghai between 1
May and 31 October, making
it the biggest expo to date.
Kath Hudson looks at how
some of the pavilions are
interpreting the theme of
Better City, Better Life
S
witzerland’s pavilion will have a ski
lift, Saudi Arabia has an unlimited
budget and the UK is going for
one of the biggest pavilions at the Expo.
It’s the ultimate neighbourly competition,
which is why design teams around the
world have been charged with the task of
creating the most awe-inspiring pavilions to
tell their country’s story and, most importantly,
attract trade and investment.
Programme director at the Foreign
and Commonwealth Offi ce, Simon
Featherstone, says potential economic and
commercial benefi ts of the Expo are enormous,
and it’s particularly important for the
relationship between the UK and China,
especially as it marks the mid-way point
between the Beijing and London Olympics.
“In these diffi cult economic times, we
can’t afford not to be involved in the
Shanghai Expo,” says Featherstone, who
is in charge of the UK’s involvement. “Our
ability to compete for business overseas
and to attract the best investment to the UK
is crucial to our economic success.”
Better City, Better Life is the theme for
the Expo, representing the worldwide wish
for a better future for those living in urban
environments. Each of the 192 countries,
and 50 international organisations, participating
have their own take on this theme,
designing a pavilion which they feel best
represents what their country is about.
Taking place in a country that’s going to
be one of the two most important global
powers of this century, with one of the largest
and fastest growing economies in the
world, the site spans 5.28sq km on both
sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai.
It’s expected to attract a whopping 70
million visitors in the six month period,
between May and October, with 600,000
guests on the busiest days.
A WORLD LEADING PAVILION
In February 2007, the Foreign and
Commonwealth Offi ce launched a competition
to fi nd a team of architects, designers
and curators to create the UK pavilion. The
Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, said
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