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Macau Pavillion for Shanghai Expo 2010 / Carlos Marreiros

By Sebastian J — Filed under: News , , , ,
 

The Macau Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010 will take the shape of a jade rabbit lantern. Designed by Chinese firm Carlos Marreiros Architects the pavilion will be wrapped with a double-layer glass membrane and feature fluorescent screens on its outer walls. Balloons will serve as the head and tail of the ‘rabbit’, which can be moved up and down to attract visitors.

The building will be constructed with recyclable materials and consists of solar power panels and rain collection systems. The design was inspired by rabbit lanterns popular during the mid-autumn festival in south China in ancient times.

Seen at designboom. More images after the break.

 

77 comments »

Fino says:

This is a joke right? I hope this is just a really expensive joke, and nothing more.

that is all

 
# May 1, 2009 at 20:17
amine says:

…and in the next expo they will make the “bugs bunny” building … nice joke mr carlos.

 
# May 1, 2009 at 20:30
jlbr says:

the rabbit of troy. beware shangai, that bunny could only mean trouble.

 
# May 1, 2009 at 20:56
kc says:

makes me want to read learning from las vegas again…sike

 
# May 1, 2009 at 22:21
archdork says:

!!!!!!!!! (breathtaking!!!)

 
# May 1, 2009 at 22:42
Alexander says:

Jajajajajajajajaa…………..

 
# May 1, 2009 at 22:44
jose says:

it cant get more tacky and kitsh than this
and by the way, this isnt a joke

 
# May 1, 2009 at 22:57
dustin says:

If you have a sense of humour it is actually a fun building if you are in a helicopter, obviously for the average person looking from below its terrible.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 00:34
Palau says:

C H I A L E

 
# May 2, 2009 at 01:24
bolongo says:

lol, … dustin is right, as an object it looks good, (somthing cute and funny for the kids), but from the ground it doesn’t really work, what they prove with their own rendering, and it even get’s a little scary ;)…

 
# May 2, 2009 at 02:23
Lucas Gray says:

There should be some governing board somewhere that reviews all design proposals and has executive veto power to prevent kitschy shit like this from being built. Seriously this is embarrassing for our profession. A first year architecture student would flunk out of school if they presented a scheme like this. This architect should lose his license.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 03:30
    steven fleming says:

    I don’t agree

     
    # September 24, 2009 at 02:11
    exfree says:

    Right Lucas!! too bad Macao architects need only to pay annual fee for their licenses, no test required!! not sure if this architect got any proper license other than the paid one.

     
    # October 9, 2009 at 09:52
_panza says:

personally, I like jokes in architecture, but…this is too literal. But OK, its an expo pavillion, temporary building , its a small country and this will kinda catch the attention and everybody will be talking about the rabbit building. So, from their point of view, its allright. But not from mine :)

 
# May 2, 2009 at 03:51
sharwe says:

嘿嘿,这个都可以被选到这里来啊!

 
# May 2, 2009 at 08:38
Mark says:

I think lots of common people will like it, no matter many architectural ‘experts’ don’t agree with it.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 08:45
Fino says:

I am afraid for you if you agree that this is architecture.

that is all.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 09:35
Poly says:

这东西确实搞笑~~

 
# May 2, 2009 at 09:58
Allen says:

This project is a disgrace to the Chinese people. Looks like Mr.Marreiros is playing a practical joke to the Chinese people. Show some respect Carlos!!

 
# May 2, 2009 at 10:11
marco says:

Yep, it’s tacky, bold and just plain fun… I think it looks not so bad from the ground. remember people it’s a world expo… Why always make architecture as a “pure” art, serious and strict. These guys are having fun with a simple symbolic form, and It’ll sure make a lot of people happy and interesting snapshots.
+ it seems it’s seems like a green building also. Great

 
# May 2, 2009 at 11:15
    Ricardo says:

    You are right.

    It is all about keeping people happy with interesting snapshots.

    Any room for Architecture or Photography?

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:33
u says:

was he high doing this? or wtf?

 
# May 2, 2009 at 11:42
j says:

NO

 
# May 2, 2009 at 15:48
frankc says:

I guess they got DUCKROLLED.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 16:19
P says:

Monster rabbit.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 18:17
jlbr says:

What you guys don’t know is that this is a full-blown trend. I’m talking about Zoomorphic architecture. If you don’t believe me, check out this museum, which will also be at the World Expo in none other than Shanghai:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/5046/bob-the-lost-dog-building-for-shanghai-2010-by-aurele.html

Cheers.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 18:24
Marcus says:

This is a prime example of what not to do.

 
# May 2, 2009 at 20:55
Nick says:

WTF sickest childiest idea ever!
Even a bachelor student wouldn’t come up with the idea of a building which resembles a BUNNY

 
# May 3, 2009 at 03:09
YS says:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…..

 
# May 3, 2009 at 03:59
tatomillan says:

macau pavillon sponsored by playboy

 
# May 3, 2009 at 11:11
    Ricardo says:

    :)

    What about the Lost Dog?

    Was it sponsered by HMV (His Master’s Voice)?

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:37
Opium says:

thank God we the portuguese gave Macau back to the chinese before this…But then again it’s just pavilion and for a long time now,pavillions and world expos in general have become less and less meaningfull in what architecture is concerned…they are just events that function as speculative bubles inside major cities with no aim of providing them with anything but mass turism for a short period and making profits.In the end the bunny will be in the junk bin where it should’ve never came out in the firts place and bunch of freak skyscrappers will be born in it’s place.

 
# May 3, 2009 at 12:17
    Ricardo says:

    Ne, ne, ne

    Thank God “you” the Portuguese had a Lisbon Expo that is until now regarded as the World Expo that worked a great urban improvement for the city as well as a great entertainment and artistic event.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:44
Opium says:

Oh I forgott anyone remembers the expo98 macau pavillion?Macau seems to have a long tradition in kitsh…back in 98 in lisbon they had a plastic reproduction of the great Macau’s maneirist St.Paul’s church.So what’s worse??

 
# May 3, 2009 at 12:20
    Ricardo says:

    Worse is to do the same again, and again, and again.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:46
javi says:

OMG!!!!
that is all!

 
# May 3, 2009 at 12:41
oranjuic says:

its actually the playboy bunny in disguise. you enter from the rear.

 
# May 3, 2009 at 17:32
anonymous says:

ou vat tat! iau man tai!

 
# May 4, 2009 at 06:18
    Ricardo says:

    iau, iau

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:48
anonymous says:

I was in that competition too and I can assure you that there were around 40 proposals many of them quite good. I simply don’t understand how the most poor, childish, cajole and ridiculous to the Macanese became the winner.

 
# May 4, 2009 at 06:49
    Ricardo says:

    Yes, God works in mysterious ways.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:53
Steven says:

It’s like that awesome pinata that Carnival Cruise had in Philly last summer. TOTALLY AWESOME ARCHITECTURE!!!!
http://www.carnival.com/cms/Funcrowd/default.aspx

 
# May 4, 2009 at 08:27
dp says:

Godzilla!

 
# May 4, 2009 at 08:31
tj says:

this is horrible…..it cant get any worse than this….this is not architecture…

 
# May 6, 2009 at 05:09
    Ricardo says:

    Don’t worry. It was not meant to be either.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:55
Patriot says:

At least they will have media coverage

 
# May 6, 2009 at 19:13
    Ricardo says:

    Full coverage, we hope.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:56
Google Koons says:

Marreiros flirts Cicciolina…

 
# May 7, 2009 at 03:15
G K again says:

The magnificent 11 jury members:

http://www.gcs.gov.mo/files/expo2010/anexo1_pt.pdf

 
# May 7, 2009 at 03:39
    Ricardo says:

    The magnificents were 12. One was left out.

    The result can only be null.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 02:59
Yo says:

Bande de réactionnaires effarouchés…

 
# May 16, 2009 at 11:50
    Ricardo says:

    Qui?

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 03:00
rmsnmz says:

Is this simply a harsh critic of the notion of “Expo Architecture Typology” by creating this caricature of an supposedly expo building? I am not sure if there is a deep architectural theory going on behind the scene, but if built, I am sure that some architectural historians will have some serious interest on that.

 
# May 18, 2009 at 09:45
Rick says:

Why don’t they just hire Disney and make the whole Expo Shangai thing? USA could be a giant inflatable hamburguer. France would be a standing frog, and the UK a vibrating rubber duck. All sustainable and energy-efficient, of course… That’s it, I think I’ve just injured my sense of humor just by looking at this…

 
# June 14, 2009 at 18:37
    Ricardo says:

    If you had read “DaVinci Code” you would know that Disney was more ellaborate than that.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 03:02
theChavacano says:

This is funny, funny bunny, a breath of fresh air among some pretentious and nonsense buildings,

 
# July 29, 2009 at 15:04
    Ricardo says:

    beware you don’t catch a cold in the fresh air.

    Colds are pretty nasty these days

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 03:04
theChavacano says:

And yes is a joke, and like good joke it could be good critisim

 
# July 29, 2009 at 15:07
theChavacano says:

A bunny in the Vanity Fair.
Well let´s be honest, architects we love world fairs, and how the countries waist money (some of them who really need it for internal issues) in spectacular, ¨avangarde¨ and sometimes non sense buildings. With a theme as an excuse each country brag about the ¨best¨ they have, and show it to the world.
So at the end this is just a vanity fair, and the bunny could be the star haha.

 
# July 29, 2009 at 15:26
theChavacano says:

Me again hehe
By the way have you seen the dutch pavillion, is just an amusement park, is called the ¨Happy Street¨ ooh! but is dutch, so what. But because it came from The Netherlands is avangarde? And the Macau bunny, couldn´t be?

http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20081030/000001.htm

 
# July 29, 2009 at 15:39
    Ricardo says:

    Couldn’t

    Macau and AvantGarde is like water and oil. They don’t mix.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 03:06

Simplesmente estúpido! Nem sei como se pôde levar a sério uma proposta destas!

 
# July 31, 2009 at 18:10
Mariana says:

troy-bunny… LOL

 
# August 25, 2009 at 18:43
Roberto says:

Does that walk?

 
# August 26, 2009 at 11:34
    Ricardo says:

    No, it rolls on wheels instead.

     
    # September 26, 2009 at 03:07
Mathew says:

This must be dedicated to all the architects and government officials who takes their image a little too seriously. I like the humor of this… go out, buy a drink and have a little fun for christ’s sake.

 
# September 4, 2009 at 00:38
travis says:

额滴神啊,实体模型都做出来了

 
# September 4, 2009 at 05:03
toton says:

trojan horse wannabe..

 
# September 21, 2009 at 23:20

fun !

 
# September 26, 2009 at 02:44
a sphere says:

a new Trojan horse with bunny suit

 
# September 26, 2009 at 05:17
Leonor says:

I must say, as a person born in Macao, that if the purpose of the countries pavilions is to represent their culture, this project is right on the spot. My mother automatically recognized the bunny from her childhood, and made me understand that it says something to the people of Macao. And by the way, from the comments i have read, it seems like people loved it or hated it, which means it generated controversy, as all great deeds in history. I recommend visiting http://www.carlosmarreiros.com/news/news6.html for more information about the project, before harshly criticizing.

 
# September 26, 2009 at 18:27
    thefutureishere says:

    I must say, as an architect born in Macao, I deeply feel that this rabbit pavilion is a big disgrace to our profession and our city. And Leonor, WORDS can never justify a low quality design.

     
    # October 9, 2009 at 03:39
gossip R says:

the point has gone beyond if this is a joke…as someone said above, some architectural designs are made to “joke” purposely.
but this one, come on, it is the Expo and it is one of the very rare opportunities to introduce our tiny city – Macau – to the rest of the World aside from using our casinos. and we decide an ugly rabbit (looks like one of those paper dolls Chinese burn to their ancestors) to represent our City…how ridiculous!

 
# October 9, 2009 at 04:29
hiker says:

oh no!!!

 
# October 22, 2009 at 02:10
Nusan_SG says:

So cuteeeee……. น่ารักสุดๆๆๆๆๆ

 
# November 4, 2009 at 02:20

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