n Switzerland, there is a strong awareness of the importance of the interaction between urban and rural areas, due to the geographical characteristics of the country. Urban and rural areas are complementary and necessarily interdependent. For many years, Switzerland has been striving to find sustainable ways of protecting and conserving its natural heritage as well as improving living conditions in urban areas.
The design of the Swiss Pavilion is based on the concept of balance rooted in the principle of yin and yang. A vast planted roof and two load-bearing cylinders together make up the structure of the building, and are connected by a revolving chair lift system. The architecture incorporates the symbiosis between town and country, and emphasizes the perfect balance of man, nature and technology.
The urban setting of the ground floor is counterbalanced by the natural space of the roof of the Swiss Pavilion and the continuous circuit of the chair lift provides visitors with access to the rural area from the urban area, offering an interesting and inspiring experience.
The Pavilion is a hybrid image of nature and technology, which incorporates the sub-theme of the Shanghai Expo — rural-urban interaction.
The first cylinder represents the urban part.
Walking along a ramp, the exhibition area provides visitors with an overview of the building and the exhibition. Visitors will pass by 3D screens, which provide three-dimensional images of innovative and sustainable Swiss success stories. At the end of the ramp, they will enter the exhibition hall and come across Swiss men and women, projected on life-size screens, recounting their visions of the future, their expectations and their dreams. These personal statements by Swiss citizens show how important the individual is in conserving and shaping nature in a responsible way. They will also have insight into the four themes of the exhibition: water quality, air quality, public transport and sustainable construction.
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