ARCHITECT: THOMAS HEATHERWICK
The pavilion is covered in 60,000 7.5m transparent rods, each containing seeds at the tip from the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK. During the day they act as optic fibres and draw daylight in to illuminate the interior, in the evening light sources within the rods allow the whole structure to glow. As wind passes the structure its optic ‘hairs’ move subtly creating a dynamic effect. The pavilion has apparently conjured up massive interest and has been used as the defining image all over the world for Shanghai expo. Seventy- million people are expected to visit Shanghai expo, which opens to the public on May 1st, and the UK pavilion is expecting many millions alone. The theme for the expo is ‘better city, better life’, which is what inspired the British designer. He created a unique yet open space encased by a park in which people can relax, by using the UK’s expertise in urban planning. We are left with a stunning structure that stands out from the other 230+ pavilions that have been erected, that ‘reflects the UK’s regional and national excellence and diversity in arts, business, culture, sports, science and education.’
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