Switzerland Pavilion for Expo 2010 Shanghai by Buchner Bründler

On May 1, 2009, exactly one year before the start of the World Expo in Shanghai, the construction of the Swiss Pavilion designed by Basel architects Andreas Bründler and Daniel Buchner began. The Swiss side decided on the appearance of its national pavilion at the end of 2007, when the joint project of architects Buchner Bründler and exhibition creator Element won in a two-round competition.
From early May until the end of October 2010, this alpine country will present itself to the Chinese audience as a land full of experiences, “City and countryside, with the latest Swiss technology and the power of innovation.” The pavilion is based on the “interaction between city and countryside,” one of the five sub-themes of the Expo. In terms of construction, the pavilion consists of two cylinders topped with a flat grassy roof. Decorative solar panels are suspended around the edges.
Inside the structure, a series of exhibition areas (multifunctional platform, VIP guest zone, restaurant) are located along ramps, designed to resemble an urban environment alongside the flow of visitors. The lightly undulating, green-covered roof aims to create a rural contrast. A chairlift will serve as a connection between the two worlds.
The official description of the pavilion states: “From the outside, the pavilion appears as a hybrid building that combines the city and countryside, technology and nature. Surrounding the mass of the building is a 17-meter-high suspended façade, made of a wire mesh, on which 11,000 discs made of environmentally friendly Klarharz (a two-component epoxy resin that contains no solvents) are suspended at irregular intervals. The façade generates electricity with the help of the latest solar technology and allows sunlight to express its artistic power. The electricity is further transmitted to LEDs, which then light up with varying intensity, quantity, shapes, and durations.”
Inside the pavilion, a circuit will guide visitors along the ramps around digital Swiss citizens, who will share their visions of the future, leading to a terrace with a digital view of the Swiss world of mountains. 3D telescopes offer views on specific Swiss solutions in air quality and water resources, sustainable building practices, as well as mobility. At the end of the exhibition, visitors will be able to board the chairlift, which will take them to the green roof of the pavilion. The hybrid fairytale realm in Shanghai will also be complemented by pavilions from individual Swiss cities such as Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, which will portray the theme “Water and urban quality of life.”
The concept of the pavilion is almost exclusively oriented towards Chinese people and tourism. It is expected that only 5 percent of visitors to Expo 2010 will be from abroad. Switzerland is also among the most popular destinations for wealthy Chinese, who buy luxury branded goods in large quantities. Switzerland is succeeding in fulfilling its tourist marketing in China like no other European country. Info>