EXPO 2010 gearing up (progress photos of pavillions)

[muppet]

okee guys pavilions getting finishing touches here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1120345

[giallo]

I'm pretty pissed of with the city regarding the Expo.
This internationally insignificant event (it makes the Winter Olympics look like the world cup by comparison) has completely taken over the city. Starting next week, most of my favorite bars/clubs will be closed indefinitely (owners just found out last week. The city will still be collecting taxes on the said properties though). All others will have to close at 2am. This is all to give the city a better 'face' to international visitors. Y'know the ones who won't be coming due to the fact that they have no idea this Expo even exists. Who the fuck is in charge here?
China's slide continues.

Bitter City, Bitter Life

[muppet]

^I dont get why closing the nightlife down is an improvement?? Surely its the other way round for international visitors...

[giallo]

^Exactly.

Vancouver is a good example of doing the exact opposite of Shanghai. The city has some pretty archaic liquor laws, but changed them for the duration of the Olympics. The city allowed bars to stay open and sell liquor until 6am in most cases. This was changed from the regular 3am last call. Plus, they added dozens of venues around the city and gave them licenses to play music, sell food and booze.

The whole reason people (Chinese and foreigners alike) like Shanghai is because of its independent streak within China. This just makes them look like...well, Singapore.

[muppet]

Photo essay from www.boston.com/bigpicture

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...rly_ready.html


Visitors gather in front of a huge animated baby mannequin displayed in the Spanish pavilion at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 25, 2010. Expo organizers gave members of the public a preview of the largest-ever World's Fair as they tested facilities and public transportation before the official start on May 1. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)


A visitor stands at the South Korea Pavilion at the World Expo site on the trial day Friday, April 23, 2010 in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)



Visitors walk past the illuminated Expo Axis of Sunshine Valley on the first day of the trial run of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)



Visitors stand outside the U.K. Pavilion, known as the "Seed Cathedral," at the site of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. (Kevin Lee/Bloomberg)


A man takes a picture inside the British pavilion at the World Expo 2010 site in Shanghai on April 14, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images



A visitor examines a seed encased in acrylic inside the U.K. Pavilion, known as the "Seed Cathedral," at the site of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. (Kevin Lee/Bloomberg)


A night view shows the Serbia pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site April 23, 2010. (REUTERS/Stringer)


A general view of the panorama of Shanghai and the Huangpu River from the top floor of Shanghai World Financial Center (492 meters high) in the Pudong Lujiazui Financial District on April 17, 2010 in Shanghai, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images)


Workers attach a logo in Chinese characters meaning the United States at the USA Pavilion at the World Expo site on the trial day Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)



Journalists gather at the US pavilion for a press preview at the site of the World expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 7, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)


A worker stands at the wall of the South Korea pavilion at the World Expo site in Shanghai, China, Wednesday, April 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)


Fireworks explode over the site of World Expo during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony in Shanghai, China on April 27, 2010. (AP Photo)

[muppet]

continued...


Photo essay from www.boston.com/bigpicture

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...rly_ready.html



Visitors outside the Danish pavilion take photos of Denmark's iconic Little Mermaid statue after it was unveiled at Shanghai World Expo site April 25, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song)


Denmark's famed Little Mermaid statue is displayed after it was unveiled in Denmark Pavilion at the World Expo site on the trial day Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Shanghai, China. The 5-foot (1.5-meter) statue honoring Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen left Copenhagen Harbor for first time in 97 years for Shanghai's Expo which opens May 1. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)


Lead architect of the Danish pavilion, Bjarke Ingels rides a bicycle on its roof at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 25, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)


Workers assemble a wall part of the Latvia Pavilion at the World Expo site on the trial day Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)


A night view shows the Russia pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site April 23, 2010. (REUTERS/Stringer)


An aerial view shows vehicles traveling on newly-lit intersections at night in Shanghai in this March 28, 2010 photo. (REUTERS/Shanghai Pacific Institute for International Strategy)


Two performers practice at the World Expo site in Shanghai, China, Wednesday, April 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)


Performers dressed as traditional Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors march during an event as part of the Shanghai Expo to promote tourism to Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, April 10, 2010. (AP Photo)


A man walks past the Polish pavilion at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 27, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)



An aerial view shows the French Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai March 28, 2010. (REUTERS/Shanghai Pacific Institute for International Strategy)


A performer prepares for a rehearsal in Beijing on April 26, 2010 for their performance in the first week of the upcoming Shanghai 2010 World Expo. Along with daily parades, fireworks and other festivities, the Shanghai World Expo's 192 participating countries are contributing to a six-month calendar of music, dance and stage shows. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)


A Chinese worker stands on the top of the pavilion of Iceland at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 7, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)


An aerial view shows Shanghai's new financial district skyline along the Huang Pu river at night in Shanghai in this March 28, 2010 photo. (REUTERS/Shanghai Pacific Institute for International Strategy)


Visitors walk past the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion, known as the Dream Cube, in Shanghai on April 26, 2010. Multi-nationals are seizing on the six-month event beginning May 1 to build their brand presence in the market of 1.3 billion people, but also the business and government connections - or "guanxi" - crucial to making money in China. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)


A visitor takes photos of a 3D-projected image of a Terracotta Warrior jade burial suit in the Aurora Pavilion as organizers of Shanghai's World Expo gave members of the public a preview of the massive event in Shanghai on April 26, 2010. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)


Visitors walk past the "Information and Communications Pavilion," built by China Mobile Ltd. and China Telecom Corp., in Shanghai, China, on Monday, April 19, 2010.


Elevated highways are illuminated by LED lights on April 18, 2010 in Shanghai, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images)


A Chinese worker peers from behind a wall surrounding the UK pavilion at the site of the World expo 2010 in Shanghai on April 7, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

[Nowhereman1280]

I'm so excited! I just found out that I'll be spending a lot of time in Shanghai this summer for business. That means I'll probably get to spend a weekend at this expo!

[amor de cosmos]

corporate pavilion aka dream cube




http://www.architecturelist.com/2010/04/29/the-dream-cube-at-the-2010-world-expo-by-esi-design/

[The Chemist]

Some amazing photos here! I can't wait to go and check out the Expo Park for myself!

Seems to me that many expats don't think much of the Expo, but I'm certainly not one of those. I think it's already been great for Shanghai, personally, just in the sense of cleaning up and modernizing the city.

[dirtybird]

Originally Posted by giallo

...Starting next week, most of my favorite bars/clubs will be closed indefinitely...

How are they determining which bars/clubs are to be closed? I'd like to visit the Expo and partake in the nightlife as well!

[Aleks]

omg... i think i just jizzed my pants...

china, you have done it again! thank you great architects of the world for designing such great buildings which show cultures and economies from around the world (except for the us pavilion architects, who could only come up with a nissan-styled dealership building).

[giallo]

Originally Posted by dirtybird

How are they determining which bars/clubs are to be closed? I'd like to visit the Expo and partake in the nightlife as well!

Pretty much any club that combines cheap drinks with music outside of your typical top 40, has a dance floor, and attracts artists of all types from the underground. What these shut down clubs don't have is a lot of money to throw around.

After hearing some interviews yesterday from some of these club owners that haven't had their doors locked, I'm beginning to think that, once again, city officials have been paid off.
There are a number of 'official' Expo clubs that the city has approved, yet there was nothing sent out to the other bar and club owners to give them a chance at getting approved as well. Basically, these bigger, richer club/bar owners have stuffed the pockets of local officials to make sure they get the majority of the late night patrons that will come through Shanghai. Every other bar or club owner is left standing with their dick in their hands.


As for the actual Expo, I'm looking forward to it. I'm just so shocked at how out of touch City Hall in SH really is. Outside of planning an amazing subway system and beautifying countless streets and buildings in record time, they seem absolutely clueless about how to throw an international party.

[muppet]

^sounds like local govt corruption to me, rather than an initiated plan

[RustNeverSleeps]

Iceland looks pretty good (for a country that's broke).

[muppet]

Actually China provided a set of generic rectangular buildings for countries with low funds for their project. Iceland carpetted theirs with the ice images, other countries have done the same showing other cultural images, whereas some have added on embellishments such as pillars/ domes/ nave doorways etc to resemble a traditional native architecture (these invariably turn out to look like tacky nouveaux riches villas), such as Iran's imo, though Pakistan's is good:

Iran



Pakistan

[Bedhead]

Some of those pavilions are really cool - what happens to them afterwards?

I went to a presentation last year by the Chinese ambassador to the UK, and they handed out some of the tips of the rods for the UK pavillion. I had no idea it would end up looking so great.

From the render, I think the cedar cladding on the Canadian pavilion will look great.

[IconRPCV]

Ahh man everything looks so cool, I need to see if a quick trip to Shanghai is doable.

[hammersklavier]

omfg now I want to go to Shanghai this summer...what beautiful amazing pavilions!

Except for the U.S.'s, of course, that's just about the blandest crapitecture ever. Ugh!

[mthq]

god just looking at those pics makes me excited about the Expo.

btw lololol at the Belarus pavillion.

[leftopolis]

Originally Posted by mthq

god just looking at those pics makes me excited about the Expo.

btw lololol at the Belarus pavillion.

You ever heard of it being considered bad form to laugh at the poor?

In this case, they were one of the nations too poor to do something, beyond embellishing the square box provided them by the Chinese. A thoughtful gesture by the Chinese, and the Belarus group created a lovely mural of what must be one of their charming old-town districts--a great effort, IMO.

Ironically, the last person in the world who should be LOLing someone else's effort here...is a US citizen. The US entry is the most embarassingly pathetic, shameful lack of effort, of them all. Other, much smaller nations with only a minute fraction of the US's gdp--came up with Rembrandt's, Picasso's, Da Vinci's...while the US showed up with a Velvet Elvis.