The Polish pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai
For a while there it seemed like World Expos were a thing of the past – countries showcasing their best attributes to prove to the world that they were the best. Hey look at us – we’ve got the biggest ferris wheel ever!
Well, it’s the 21st century and what better nation to bring it all back to relevance than China. As we’ve seen from the Olympics they won’t spare a dime to put on a show and with Expo 2010 it seems like there are plenty of other countries looking to show off (and hopefully attract tourists and business.)
Officially labeled Expo 2010 Shanghai China, the greatest show on earth is being held from May 1st to October 31st on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China. The expo is being organized in the great tradition of past fairs and expositions but now sports a very modern and hip feel.
With more than 190 countries and 50 international organizations taking part it is the largest expo ever. Projections put the estimated visitor number at more than 100 million (that’s bound to bring in a buck or two.)
The Polish Pavilion opened on 1 May in a 3,000 meter squared area. The structure was designed by WWA Architects Wojciech Kakowski, Natalia Paszkowska and Marcin Mostafa who used Polish folk patterns for inspiration.
According to its Expo 2010 profile the pavilion is composed of three concepts Human, Creativity and the City and “…as a perfect example of the Polish architecture, it mirrors the combination of modernity and folk art, representing the creativity and imagination of Poland.”
More specifically, the Polish pavilion is meant to resemble the national folk-art paper cut-out form known as wycinanki.
National Polish folk-art paper cut-outs known as "wycinanki."
An artist’s rendering of the Polish pavilion at Expo 2010
During the day, the pavilion’s exhibition hall has light spilling in through these paper-cutting patterns and at night the structure shines with different colors, leaving visitors totally “folked-out.”
Poland’s Pavilion day is on May 22nd but to date it has already seen tremendous success with many considering it in the top 5. Here’s how it compares to the pavilion’s of other countries:
Canada
Czech Republic
Egypt
Germany
Macao Pavilion
Republic of Korea
Russia
Singapore
Spain
United Kingdom
USA
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