Architecture
Better City Better Life
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Posted by Niki Fulton at 12:30 PM in Architecture
With only 340 days to go before EXPO 2010 opens in Shangai, China, I am delighted to be given photographs of the Finnish Pavilion by Mikko Puustinen, the Communications Director of Finland for World EXPO 2010.
The first International Exhibition was held in London in 1851 and subsequent exhibitions have seen the creation of landmark buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in the Paris Exhibition of 1889. In 1928 the B.I.E (Bureau International des Expositions) was set up to regulate the frequency and quality of the exhibitions and the standards of exhibitions have continued to fascinate visitors.
The theme for EXPO 2010 is “Better City, Better Life” to encapsulate the wish of the whole of humankind for a better living in future urban environments. “Fluvi”, the EXPO Zaragoza 2008 mascot has been replaced by “Haibao”, an imaginary figure created from a Chinese character meaning “people”.
The Finnish Pavilion (pictured above) is called, “Kirnu”, meaning Giant’s kettle. It has been designed by JKMM architects in Helsinki and portrays Finland in miniature with its goal to present a vision of a “good life”. They have integrated six pillars of “good life” into the design - freedom, creativity, innovation, community spirit, health and nature. The architects have drawn inspiration from nature, “like the shape of small rocks found on coastal islands, the surface of fish, reflections on water, a framed view of the sky and the smell of tar on wood. Like nature, the pavilion offers a quiet refuge from busy city life” . The pavilion floats over water, white and ethereal and is reached by a bridge which takes visitors into the heart of the “miniature city” where they hope ideas will meet and mix.
The pavilion will be as sustainable as possible so the architects have included solar panels, rain water collection points and geothermal heating. I am quite sure this beautiful structure will make a great impact in EXPO 2010 and we look forward to receiving more information as plans develop.
Thank you to Finland World EXPO for your information and photographs.
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