Austrian Pavilion for Expo Shangai 2010 - SPAN and Zeytinoglu Architects- Case Study

AUSTRIAN PAVILION FOR EXPO SHANGAI 2010

Competition: 2008

1st Prize SPAN & Zeytinoglu

Start of Planning: 2008

Start of Construction: 2009

Completion: 2010

Site Area: 2,314 m2

Gross Floor Area: 2,227 m2

Budget: EUR 5 MM

Client: EXPO Office Austria

Function: Exposition Pavilion

Location: Shangai, China

Temporal Exhibition

The main driving force behind the design of the Austrian Pavilion for the EXPO in Shanghai 2010 can be described as acoustic forces, or more accurately as music. Music as a concept that reflects continuity in terms of architectural articulation that seamlessly connects the various spaces within the program. The embodiment of the sonic conditions within the space manifests the architecture of the pavilion, which resonates to the rhythm of the Video Jockey's (VJs) performance – the conductor of the atmospheres within the main space.

The rich history of Austrian musical tradition makes it possible to create a performance program reaching from Baroque Music, to the classic area, to the modern age, to contemporary acts. The space unfurls from within the topological body, from the main space, the audience chamber, to the exterior epidermis. This process creates pockets, poches, that include the rest of the program, such as Shop, Restaurant, Office, VIP Area and so forth. Each of these programmatic areas includes qualities connoted with the quality of living within Austrian conurbations: Music, culture, culinary expertise, urban scapes, opulent landscapes and lavish foliages.

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