dutch pavilion at shanghai expo 2010 image via the big picture

architect john kormeling was selected to design the dutch pavilion for shanghai 2010. now almost complete the 5,000-square-meter pavilion called ‘happy street’, consists of twenty-six small houses elevated along the expo’s main pedestrian strip that curves in a figure eight, a lucky number in china.

each house will explore themes such as energy, water, space and other urban issues. in response to the chinese expo theme ‘better city, better life’ the sub-themes of the design include:

– urban cultural diversity – urban economic growth and prosperity – innovation in science and technology in urban contexts – re-modelling urban communities – interaction between urban and rural areas.

dutch pavilion at expo 2010 construction of ‘happy street’

dutch pavilion at expo 2010

dutch pavilion at expo 2010

dutch pavilion at expo 2010 construction workers walking along the figure 8 pathway

dutch pavilion at expo 2010

dutch pavilion at expo 2010

dutch pavilion at expo 2010 side view