Mexico Pavillion for Shanghai World Expo 2010

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

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Mexican architects SLOT won an international competition to design the Mexican Pavilion for the World Expo Shanghai 2010. The pavilion’s design is born from the idea of representing Mexico through its traditional elements which haven’t been exploited in these kinds of fairs. The proposal scheme is centered around the idea of creating a green space within the expo which at the same time represents our preoccupation to offer a better life standard for cities through the recovery of green areas rather than creating a protagonist building.

The Mexican pavilion is a volume defined by a talud (slope) which transforms itself into a plaza privileging public space as an urban gesture within the expo. Space is divided in three levels which represent three different moments of urban life in our country. The past is represented on the plinth, present time Mexico at the entrance level, and future on the platform.

The pavilion’s main feature lies within the design of the papalotes (kites), a word that comes from the Nahuatl papalotl which means butterfly, used as a cultural meeting point between mexican and chinese cultures. Our proposal is to look into a future with areas which are thought, destined and planned specifically for leisure, the recovery of parks and green areas, where new generations might meet in a city with a “better living”. More images and a video after the break.

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80 comments »

GoP says:

Wow! So much work and material for some ogly umbrellas?!

 
# November 27, 2009 at 12:25
TM says:

What´s “ogly”?

¬¬

 
# November 27, 2009 at 12:49
Dandee says:

they are not umbrellas but kytes

 
# November 27, 2009 at 12:55
Rob.i says:

are you sure we can call this architecture? “business”, i think that that is the right word. they designed this building just to impress, and they did it just for business. do you really think that something like this can influence the architecture in the future?

 
# November 27, 2009 at 13:16
    bobb.i says:

    you are right, i would call it “exhibition architecture”, after all this is a fair stand. Though it is a really big one ;). And in this regard i think it is quite well done, an entertaining space, that seems to transport a lot of information. Nothing wrong with that and the best stand i have seen sofar on archdaily for this expo…

     
    # November 28, 2009 at 04:41
      Rob.i says:

      i agree, it’s well done, but only from that point of view, the point of view that considers this just like an “exhibition architecture” that have to impress at first glance. as i said, i don’t think that it’s necessary to analyse it like a real piece of architecture.

      anyway, this is the third time i see this project and now it’s already boring. plus, i guess that it’s much more impressing on the renderings that in the reality.

      i prefer the macau pavillion, in that case the aim of the design is very clear, they wanted to do something funny, and they did it!

       
      # November 28, 2009 at 05:16
alejandro says:

Nice concept, well thought!

 
# November 27, 2009 at 14:06
    God says:

    woooowww!!!, this post had only 2 days here and is the most comented in weeks… thats really fun!!. considering that is a very ridiculous concept of mexico.

    jajaja… but… could be worse… really worse

     
    # November 28, 2009 at 20:38
very says:

impressive video, but the concept works not. “Take just one piece here and another there” – this makes not the whole. This could be mexican or indian or danish pavilion, who cares.

 
# November 27, 2009 at 14:19
inmate says:

clearly, this is a park full of foster’s repsol pavilions. hasn’t everyone tried to rip that project off once or twice on charette? hope SLOT can execute as cleanly as foster!

 
# November 27, 2009 at 16:45
AE says:

Lejos el proyecto que ocupo el tercer lugar era mucho mejor. Este proyecto, como dijeron anteriormente, no tiene nada salvo la pura apariencia y el intento mal logrado de “apantallar”.

“PUEDE OBSERVAR CLARAMENTE UNA ARQUITECTURA INTEGRAL, REPRESENTE O NO A MEXICO ¿ESO ES LO PRINCIPAL?”

2 cosas:
1.- Si, es lo principal. ¿Cual sería el punto sino?
2.- ¿Integral? ¿Por qué? ¿Por que repite el mismo elemento hasta gastarlo? Usas conceptos que no entiendes.

 
# November 27, 2009 at 17:17
Xavier says:

Opino lo mismo que tu, es una verguenza que proyectos asi ganen los concursos de Mexico.

Proyecto pobre en muchos aspectos.

Aquitectos ricos despues de cobrar 18millones de pesos por el proyecto.

 
# November 27, 2009 at 17:30
alejandro says:

A.L. – I do happen to choose my words, I said nice and not extraordinary or adequate because I agree with you that it has something childish to it. However, that is precisely what I like about it. Furthermore, I like a lot the three types of spaces it creates, spaces that result from the relationship between the angled surface, the kites and the ground floor. The underneath/above angled surfaced works well and above all distinguishes it from others in the exhibition. I find amusing how literal and childish its relationship to pyramids is and how it’s colored and over relaxed attitude conveys a general sensation of happiness. Thus, in my humble opinion makes for a well thought project.
It seems you´ve got personal issues in this subject man; take it easy, anger management.

 
# November 27, 2009 at 17:31
Wargo says:

Look as giants lollipops, look better in an amusement park (nacionalismo aparte).

 
# November 27, 2009 at 17:33
alejandro says:

horse
don´t hoarse

 
# November 27, 2009 at 17:46
alejandro says:

ÇA MARCHE

 
# November 27, 2009 at 18:07
Carlos says:

…alguien tiene el link para ver los proyectos de los demas participantes???

 
# November 27, 2009 at 18:44
alejandro says:

Arguments please… es retrogado, son los jueces, es arquitectura infantil, come on people!!
It seems you all have personal issues in this matter, you’re all angry, Why?

 
# November 27, 2009 at 19:02
sharwe says:

欢迎中国建筑行业的朋友加入ASKETCH 讨论QQ群 92452790

 
# November 27, 2009 at 19:43
Adrian says:

mmmmmmmm… las sombrillas no se veian tan mal en los renders, pero viendolo bien ya no!

 
# November 27, 2009 at 23:51
horse says:

también molesta la falta de traducción, si la idea inicial es que fueran unos palotes, lo cual ya en si es dudable, pues uno esperaría que estos se transformaran en arquitectura a través de algún mecanismo intelectual, pero no, esto se mantienen figurativamente, sueltos sin inmiscuirse en la construcción de la limitante espacial

 
# November 28, 2009 at 00:53
    horse says:

    papalotes

     
    # November 28, 2009 at 16:26
cs3 says:

Participé en el concurso y debo reconocer que es un buen proyecto, es una extensión de la plaza lineal que hay en el frente, responde bien a la condición periférica del lote mexicano, el talud es una gran alternativa para dar cabida a mucha gente descansando a la sombra, los papalotes, plástica aparte, son un punto de contacto entre chinos y mexicanos, los espacios interiores son funcionales y el proyecto se cotizo por debajo del presupuesto. Es una propuesta sencilla, que no se cierra como muchos otros, y es muy fácil de recordar.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 01:27
    horse says:

    participaste en este concurso?, con el equipo ganador?

     
    # November 28, 2009 at 16:29
      cs3 says:

      no, con otro proyecto.

       
      # November 29, 2009 at 23:15
Juni says:

Shanghai = Coney Island

 
# November 28, 2009 at 05:38
Carlos says:

Anda, borraron mi primer comentario. Pues que habre dicho???

 
# November 28, 2009 at 09:48
PIÑOL says:

¿another otra expression expresión of de “architecture arquitectura chill-out chil-aut”?

 
# November 28, 2009 at 10:13

Dear mexican readers,

I would really like you to express your opinions in english in order to let other readers enter this discussion. Being a pavilion for a world expo, a discussion including people from around the world would be much more interesting, don´t you think?

 
# November 28, 2009 at 10:19
    Dustin says:

    Actually the discussion is quite interesting in spanish. Yes, it would be ideal that the language used would be english since this is an english website, but on the other hand, I am guessing a great number of the posts are done by people who don’t speak english, and it would’nt be fare for them not to join a a discussion on a project that represents their country.

     
    # November 30, 2009 at 01:14
theChavacano says:

Otro modulo de la secretaria de turismo en el exterior(uno muy caro, pero donde esta el papel picado y el mariachi? Combinarian perfectamente.

Just another office from the mexican minister of tourism abroad (an expensive one), but where are the “papel picado” and the mariachis? It will fit flawlesly.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 16:00
prkno says:

this is very close to Fosters vision of Zagreb Airport

http://www.d-a-z.hr/?sec=natjecajirezultat&id=37

http://www.d-a-z.hr/files/natjecaji_rezultati-foster_2-1223027573.jpg

if i can so freely conclude, but nice project otherwise

 
# November 28, 2009 at 16:39
johnson wax says:

Strange, that they couldn’t come up with a better solution for the ‘kites’… I thought the whole idea would be to have a light and easy to build superstructure that would provide shading. When I see the umbrellas now they seem so heavy and soulless; noth at all something refering to the lightness of kites in the sky. A real pity because I think the initial concept in not bad at all.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 18:44
Arq. Mariana Tello Rodríguez says:

Los invito a realizar sus respectivas criticas fuera del anonimato, por que a todos aquellos que se precian de ser arquitectos los veo como cobardes tras una computadora.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 20:14
    Dustin says:

    Si te fijas Arq. Mariana, ninguno de los comentarios se hace bajo un nombre anónimo, y simplemente pusieron su nombre porque name significa nombre. Yo creo que si les preguntas quienes son, talvez te podrian proporcionar su información de contacto. Pero al llamarlos cobardes por criticar un proyecto que la verdad merece crítica porque representa mas a la secretaría de turismo que a México entonces estas en un error y simplemente te vez mal. Y por cierto no necesitamos publicar nuestro nombre como Arq. tal y tal… o Ing. tal y tal.., a final de cuentas los que hacen eso tienen el ego sobreinflado y únicamente se pueden defender con un título que ya cualquier universidad de segunda te regala en 3 años de tiempo parcial.
    Si gustas mi información de contacto te lo puedo proporcionar con gusto.

     
    # November 28, 2009 at 20:35
    theChavacano says:

    Arq. Alejandro Guzmán un placer, quieres mis datos tambien Mariana? con gusto estoy a disposición de cualquier discución sobre el tema.

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 00:39
    Arq. Javier says:

    yo quiero felicitarla arquitecta Tello me parece un trabajo magnifico muy bien representado un pabellon para un expo ,esta muy bien conceptualisado ,y los que critican tal vez lo hacen por que son unos ardidos que nunca en su vida han ganado un concurso .
    felicidades
    Don Javi

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 14:12
Dustin says:

De la misma manera que casi todo se mueve en México…. corrupción.

The same way almost everything moves in Mexico… corruption.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 20:42
Dustin says:

As a final comment, is anyone considering (from the design team) that grass under shade and with people walking on it all day long.. does not actually grow? It will be interesting to see the final product with boxes filled with dirt or with artificial turf.

Como comentario final, alguien del equipo de diseño consideró que el pasto, bajo la sombra y con gente caminando sobre ella todo el dia… no crece? será interesante ver el producto final, ya sea con cajas llenas de tierra o con pasto artificial.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 20:59
naiMAD ARG says:

So when i first saw the project i kind of laughed i was like wt* is that. I think that there could have been a lot more things that the architects could have done to make a better project. If Slot is designing such big structures for those kites and creating such a big space with them why not have people walk through them and then enter the bldg instead of having stairs stepped down into the exhibition space. It seems that the green space its just a BLAH space, therefore the kites are just a BLAH statement to the design. I think that’s just a bad representation of Mexico, this is a project that could have so many creative ideas to represent Mexico as a country. If this where Mexican architecture is going to be for the pavilions then the next pavilion will be in shape of a “balero” http://investigadores.webcindario.com/puebla/BALERO.jpg

 
# November 28, 2009 at 21:45
eFe says:

ok… veo que los animos están algo encendidos.

Mi opinión con respecto al proyecto, a diferencia de lo que muchos opinan, es que no es horrible, ni retrograda, ni nada de eso. Pienso que es un proyecto interesante formalmente hablando.Todo Arq. o estudiante de Arq. sabe lo muy díficil que puede ser materializar lo liviano que parece en los renders el proyecto (que por cierto como bien dice alguien por ahí en la estructuras de las fotos parece contradecirse)y creo que por ahi uno puede encontrarle algun mérito. Espacialmente, en el interior, en verdad si que deja mucho que desear pues no existe nada nuevo o interesante que sorprenda (los renders estan buenos; pero nada mas)

basicamente, parece ser que la idea del edificio es sorprendernos un instante…pero nada más.

Ahh, y por cierto, de lejos, de muy lejos, el segundo puesto representa mucho más la cultura mexicana, con esa monumetalidad que evoca un poco a las piramides que tienen por aya.

Saludos de un hermano peruano.

 
# November 28, 2009 at 22:45
    theChavacano says:

    Creo que usted hizo una apreciacíon muy acertada de este proyecto, nos sorprende un insante nada mas, falta substancia, con respecto a lo que dice del segundo lugar (el cual ha sido el mas alabado) de hecho debo decir que es mucho mas interesante que este, formalmente hablando, pero respecto a la reminicencia prehispanica, repito lo que dije en el otro post: Que? México es solo su herencia prehispanica, o en este caso su “colorido folclor” que no hay mas que nos identifique como pais, o acaso nuestra idiosincracia actual es tan vacia que debemos siempre recurrir a nuestros ancestros o -repito- a nuestro colorido folclor, en ese caso, el pabellon italiano seria un circo romano o una rotonda con una cupula coronada por un oculo.

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 00:24
    horse says:

    si el segundo lugar, es un proyecto mas completo, de varias formas, representando la masividad de la tradición mexicana, pero también en esta relación interior exterior, es honesto

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 01:08
Dustin says:

why is my comment awaiting moderation?

 
# November 29, 2009 at 02:24
af says:

Llevar falluca a China?? que inteligente, seguramente la gente en China se interesaria mucho por ir a ver falluca a un pabellon Mexicano cuando en ese pais tienen mas falluca que en ningun otro lado del mundo, no le veo nada de simpatico representar a Mexico con cosas falsas, robadas, de mala calidad etc. En que pensaste al escribir tu comentario? mejor ahorratelos babosa.

 
# November 29, 2009 at 03:05
    Diego F. says:

    ¡Pero que elegancia!

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 15:22
    andrea says:

    ironia, ironia, ironia

     
    # November 29, 2009 at 19:09
mario bota says:

내생각에는 진짜 훌륭하다. 건축과예술의 혼종의형태, 이것이 미래의 건축일거야!it is great, manifique for the urban senography

 
# November 29, 2009 at 10:37
Diego F. says:

Hahahaha ¡Nice one!

 
# November 29, 2009 at 15:18
Qingong says:

There has been a lot of critics for this pavilion, but it has not been emphasized what is probably the most important part of the whole concept… The Expo is happening in China and more than 95% of the audience is local. Therefore, the forest of kites shouldn’t be evaluated strictly under the average “Westerner” or “Mexican” perspective.

I think this proposal is good because it is colorful (something Chinese people like) and second because not so many things could be done considering that Mexico was meant to be, since the beginning, the only underground pavilion.

What for sure should be criticized is ProMexico’s lateness for choosing the project. By the time they were about to choose the project, many other countries were already in construction and their designs had been unveiled since 2008.

 
# November 29, 2009 at 22:10
    Dustin says:

    95% is local? Have you ever been to shanghai? Have you ever been to a world expo?

     
    # November 30, 2009 at 01:22
naimad says:

Dustin,

same thing happened to me, does any one know why comments wait moderation?

if Plataforma Arq. or archdaily can answer that question. Thanks

 
# November 29, 2009 at 22:19
    Nico Saieh says:

    Dear naimad,

    Some of the comments go automatically to moderation, so you just have to wait until we notice it.

     
    # November 30, 2009 at 06:55
      Dustin says:

      The problem is some of them never get posted even though there is nothing wrong with them.

       
      # November 30, 2009 at 11:54
      temper says:

      ouch someone got their feelings hurt..:)

       
      # November 30, 2009 at 14:33
      naiMAD ARG says:

      Dear nico,

      Thanks for clarification.

      best regards

       
      # December 1, 2009 at 15:04
theChavacano says:

Nothing left to say, this discussion is getting bored

 
# November 30, 2009 at 14:25
Karla G. says:

Como simple espectador no lo veo como algo realmente impresionante. Sin embargo me parece interesante y bien logrado que se salgan del concepto que SIEEEEEEEEEEEMPRE se maneja sobre México: Imágenes malogradas de cultura prehispanica “modernizadas”, Frida Kahlo y Chinas Poblanas, así que por ese lado me parece digno de reconocer que hayan ganado a pesar de no haber manejado esos conceptos “cliché”, mal gastados y usados en exceso de cultura mexicana, ya es hora que se demuestre que en México la imaginación va más allá de imágenes prehispánicas. Por otro lado, me parece realmente lamentable que hasta para comentar y críticar los mexicanos nos pintamos solos para acabarnos. Que pena…

 
# November 30, 2009 at 16:32
theChavacano says:

Saben creo que nos estamos poniendo muy serios, al parecer esta expo es de guasa (chiste, broma) ya vieron los pabellones de Macau (mi favorito jaja), Romania (the kitch goes kitcher), el de Brazil (sigo sin entender, como el pais que nos regalo el Bossa Nova y a Niemeyer sale con esta jalada), Holanda (ahora resulta que la vanguardia son los parques infantiles, mmmh sera?) y asi nos seguimos con muchos otros.

 
# December 1, 2009 at 00:45
horse says:

this is what spain is doing, if you think this pavilion is interesting look at this one
compare and answer yourself

http://www.mirallestagliabue.com/

Karla
el talud y los papalotes (sombrillas) me parecen tan cliche como un sombrero de charro hecho pabellón

 
# December 3, 2009 at 01:06
viva mexico says:

really bad project, for sure unexperienced architects and bad jury…
lets see at the end, but the kite details looks really cheap!!
and thats mexico for you??

 
# December 5, 2009 at 08:00
Manolo says:

Pues no conocia el proyecto, pero si es pesimo, es de caracter infantil y definitivamente es extremadamente mal logrado.
Que pasa en mexico con los concursos, ultimamente han ganado muchas propuestas carentes de arquitectura, este es un gran ejemplo.

No se a que se deba, si a los jurados o a los arquitectos.

Superficie verde, DE PASTO ARTIFICIAL!!!, asi o mas escenografico!

 
# December 8, 2009 at 11:49

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