ID :
117801
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 14:54
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/117801
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'Sand dune' Expo pavilion a hit in China
Shanghai, April 21, 2010 (WAM)- It has yet to open and sits behind two tall fences, plus plenty of People’s Liberation Army guards. But the UAE pavilion at Expo 2010 is already creating a stir among the Chinese according to a report by "The National."
With its gold contours shimmering in the bright spring sunshine, the pavilion, designed by the renowned British architect Lord Foster, is catching the eye of many of the hundreds of people who throng the pavements outside the Expo grounds each day seeking an advance glimpse of what the event will offer.
The pavilion is designed to resemble a sand dune, with its curves representing the windward and leeward sides of the shifting hills where the Bedouin ancestors of many of the UAE’s citizens lived.
“It’s very original,” said Gao Ming, 40, a restaurant employee at the Expo 2010 site, which spans both banks of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai. “It’s like gold, it looks like the sand. It shows the country’s culture. It’s really different from all the other countries’ designs.”
Near the fences that skirt the Expo 2010 site, street vendors do a brisk trade in sets of postcards that include a computer-generated image of the UAE pavilion. And the one-of-a-kind building also appears prominently in an official book about the pavilions on sale in Expo-accredited shops.
Sun Yuan, 26, who works in a technology centre in Shanghai, was another visitor to the Expo district impressed by what the UAE has created. “It’s very impressive and makes me think of somewhere far away, a long way for me to go,” he said. “Other pavilions are maybe just like a box, but this is special.”
Due to open at the end of this month, ahead of an official inauguration in late May, the UAE pavilion just six months ago was only a silver-coloured shell, although even then the curvaceous shape had become evident. The 3,000-square-metre pavilion is crafted from recyclable materials, tying in with the overall Expo 2010 theme of sustainable urban development.
Nearby, the Oman pavilion also offers a glimpse of traditional Arabia, although in its case architectural and maritime heritage – rather than the natural landscape – has provided the inspiration. The structure resembles forts found in Nizwa and Sohar attached to the front section of a traditional sailing ship.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the other countries with dedicated pavilions, along with nations as diverse as Pakistan, the UK, the Netherlands and Thailand. One of three Asian joint pavilions includes representation from Bahrain and Jordan.
Seventy million people are expected to visit the expo, which begins on May 1 and runs until October 31.
The UAE’s decision to build its own pavilion reflects a strengthening of ties between the Emirates and the world’s most populous nation.
Last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited the country and concluded a series of agreements, while in 2008 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, led a delegation.
Last year, trade between the two nations was worth US$21 billion (Dh77bn), a dip from the previous year’s figure of US$28bn that resulted from the global economic slowdown.
While nearly all the national pavilions are temporary structures, the UAE pavilion will be dismantled and reassembled in Abu Dhabi as a public attraction. – The National
With its gold contours shimmering in the bright spring sunshine, the pavilion, designed by the renowned British architect Lord Foster, is catching the eye of many of the hundreds of people who throng the pavements outside the Expo grounds each day seeking an advance glimpse of what the event will offer.
The pavilion is designed to resemble a sand dune, with its curves representing the windward and leeward sides of the shifting hills where the Bedouin ancestors of many of the UAE’s citizens lived.
“It’s very original,” said Gao Ming, 40, a restaurant employee at the Expo 2010 site, which spans both banks of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai. “It’s like gold, it looks like the sand. It shows the country’s culture. It’s really different from all the other countries’ designs.”
Near the fences that skirt the Expo 2010 site, street vendors do a brisk trade in sets of postcards that include a computer-generated image of the UAE pavilion. And the one-of-a-kind building also appears prominently in an official book about the pavilions on sale in Expo-accredited shops.
Sun Yuan, 26, who works in a technology centre in Shanghai, was another visitor to the Expo district impressed by what the UAE has created. “It’s very impressive and makes me think of somewhere far away, a long way for me to go,” he said. “Other pavilions are maybe just like a box, but this is special.”
Due to open at the end of this month, ahead of an official inauguration in late May, the UAE pavilion just six months ago was only a silver-coloured shell, although even then the curvaceous shape had become evident. The 3,000-square-metre pavilion is crafted from recyclable materials, tying in with the overall Expo 2010 theme of sustainable urban development.
Nearby, the Oman pavilion also offers a glimpse of traditional Arabia, although in its case architectural and maritime heritage – rather than the natural landscape – has provided the inspiration. The structure resembles forts found in Nizwa and Sohar attached to the front section of a traditional sailing ship.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the other countries with dedicated pavilions, along with nations as diverse as Pakistan, the UK, the Netherlands and Thailand. One of three Asian joint pavilions includes representation from Bahrain and Jordan.
Seventy million people are expected to visit the expo, which begins on May 1 and runs until October 31.
The UAE’s decision to build its own pavilion reflects a strengthening of ties between the Emirates and the world’s most populous nation.
Last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited the country and concluded a series of agreements, while in 2008 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, led a delegation.
Last year, trade between the two nations was worth US$21 billion (Dh77bn), a dip from the previous year’s figure of US$28bn that resulted from the global economic slowdown.
While nearly all the national pavilions are temporary structures, the UAE pavilion will be dismantled and reassembled in Abu Dhabi as a public attraction. – The National
