Foster + partners decided to base on a sand dune for their UAE Pavillion design for the Shanghai Expo 2010. The pavillion is a reference to the symbolic feature of the desert landscape shared by all seven emirates.
The peak rises to 20 meters in height and it is entered via a glazed lip at the pavillions base. light penetrates the building’s business center and VIP area through glazed vertical strips which illuminate the pavillion from within by night. With a capacity for 450 people and enclosing 3000 square meters of exhibition space, the pavillion is one of the largest structures to be built for shanghai expo 2010.
Seen at designboom. More images after the break.
vagina-esque, no?
jajaja; es la respuesta a la torre que hizo nouvel en barcelona.
wt happened to the other one? the box?
was canceled by the client (UAE) who pushed for a sanddune instead.
perfect hiding place for his Swiss Re building, just slide it in smoothly…
Actually, this is embarrassingly derivative of the scheme that Hamilton’s are executing for the Libyan national library. There is an absolute absence of original thinking going on at the Foster office these days.
Terry Glenn Phipps
* giggle giggle *
OR, may be this is a copy of Zaha’s swimming arena for the british olympics!!
Wow, a sand dune eh? What insight. Must have spent a good minute brainstorming there, and its great to see the deep intellectual and cultural engagement that’s borne out by the end design.
Let’s be honest: this is first year architectural school understanding of place and culture, and even then, you’d probably scrape a C grade because the concept is so trite. And people pay for this!!! Foster must be laughing all the way to his tax haven in the Swiss Alps with clients like this. Kerrrrrrchiiiiing.
Two slugs met,eh?
Labia fluttering in the wind.
welcome to the pussy pavillion!!!
this lloks ver much like a unbuild project by future systems.
look at their book and you will see.
what is wrong with pussy pavillion?
it’s just a matter of time until images of this new cunt-building are going to be CENSORED here in the UAE. should have been designed anyways by young motivated architects here in the land of sand ! Dear Mr. Foster, don’t you think it is time ?
“If you are not prepared to be wrong, then you will never be able to come up with something original”- Sir Ken Robinson
That is something most people here are not aware of.
While this may not be a traditional building, in the sense that it does not follow the orthogonal forms and “modern” clean lines which dominates the contemporary architecture scene, and is arguably not the most aesthetically appealing structure in recent memory.
Yet, I believe that Foster + parters deserve to be commended for their inspired and innovative design intervention that utilizes the form of a dune. This a fascinating exploration of the aeolian (related to wind) processes that shape these landforms and is indeed something worthy of further study, especially with regards to aerodynamic analysis, prefabricated construction and materials.
Finally, for the people who want to leave a follow up comment: You either advance the discussion in an intelligent and civilized manner or I ask that remain silent.
That is all.
“is arguably not the most aesthetically appealing structure in recent memory”
Emirati – most of your post was pompous nonsense, but that you for that classic quote, which is totally hilarious. And who are you to determine the manner in which other people can follow up on this thread?
That is all.
“most of your post was pompous nonsense”
this coming from the person who thinks that going against the grain is something relegated to the classrooms of college students. and offered no reasonable argument against this design.
“but that you for that classic quote, which is totally hilarious.”
not only do you lack the ability to pass reasoned or balanced critique but also you are severely hampered by syntactical error. Speak clearly and make you intentions known Mr. Kent.
“And who are you to determine the manner in which other people can follow up on this thread” Is your reply to my call to “advance the discussion in an intelligent and civilized manner or I ask that remain silent.” bravo, you have just demonstrated your depravity as well as you intellectual barrenness.
As I said, Emirati, hilarious.
That is all.
How is doing a sand dune for the UAE pavillion going against the grain? You could not get more obvious, more GRAIN could you? A grain of sand? Honestly, Foster fanboys, gotta love ‘em.
Look up “logical fallacy” and better yourself.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Here endeth the lesson.
“curiosty killed the cat, but jealousy killed the …” -aryln
Mr. architect what did you build
One of the more disappointing things about ArchDaily is that some of the people who comment appear only only to capable of the most type of basic binary thinking whereby, should you not ike a design, then your motivation must surely be:
a) jealousy, or
b) some sort of nation-bashing (anti-China, anti-Islam, anti-UAE, etc).
sexy lips….
wow, soooo bad!
ridiculous.
nevermind the pavillion, just keep them comments rolling! Classic banter!
Does anybody have any insight into what materials will be used for this pavilion?
Hmmmmmm….as far as being copyist or derivative: it’s hard to find a truly original design. Everything can be traced to some idea someone’s already had or doing contemporaneously (in architecture or other areas). Easy to ding Foster on that score. This project, like so many others, is just representative of the architectural zeitgeist of now.
Freud would have a field-day! What has happened to a man during the course of his life, if he goes from erecting a tall figure in London to folding a… well; let’s call it a hole?
mira
la arquitectura se torno fotografia
quiten los niños de la calle!!!!
is it a giant camel toe?
it is amazing: it is like the slow motion of an architectural practice dying….