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UAE Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 by Foster + Partners
Shanghai Expo 2010: here are some photos of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010, designed by Foster + Partners.
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The design of the pavilion is inspired by sand dunes and the desert landscape of the emirate, and features undulating structures clad in a triangulated lattice of gold-coloured stainless steel panels.
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A series of louvres feature on certain parts of the façade, admitting light into the interior space and illuminating the pavilion from within by night.
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Read more about the Shanghai Expo 2010 in see all out stories about the expo here.
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Here's some more information from the architects:
UAE Pavilion Shanghai Expo 2010
Shanghai, China, 2008-2010
Foster + Partners’ design for the UAE pavilion draws inspiration from a sand dune, a symbolic feature of the desert landscape shared by each of the seven emirates.
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With capacity for 450 people and enclosing 3,000 square metres of exhibition space, the pavilion is one of the largest structures to be built for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
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Responding to the ‘Better Cities, Better Lives’ theme, the pavilion will showcase projects such as the Masdar Initiative, a new 6 million square metre carbon neutral zero waste community in Abu Dhabi, intended to become a centre for the development of new ideas for energy production.
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The landscape and climate of the UAE are integral to Emirati culture.
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Like a sand dune, the pavilion appears smooth on the side that bears the full force of the wind and rough and textured on the other side.
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The northern elevation is more porous to admit natural light, while the southern elevation has a solid façade, to minimise solar gain.
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A stainless steel skin, treated to appear golden, encloses the shimmering jewel-like shell.
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The complex structure is a triangulated lattice of flat stainless steel panels, joined by adjustable nodes, which are designed to enable the pavilion to be demounted on site and constructed quickly and economically.
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The peak rises to 20 metres in height and it is entered via a glazed lip at the pavilion’s base.
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Light penetrates the building’s business centre and VIP area through glazed vertical strips, which illuminate the pavilion from within by night.
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Internally, the fit out by Ralph Applebaum Associates will offer an interactive experience, and a dynamic lighting design will reveal the exposed lattice shell of the structure.
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Client: UAE National Media Council
Co-architects: East China Architectural Design Institute
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Consultants: Halvorson and Partners, Davis Langdon, Piers Heath Associates, Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Claude Engle Lighting Consultant
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See also:
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see all out stories about the expo here |
Netherlands Pavilion by John Kormeling |
Danish Pavilion by BIG |
see all out stories about the expo here |