Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG
The Shanghai Expo 2010 has opened its doors, and we start to see how the pavilions evolved from the previews we saw during design/construction phases at ArchDaily, to become a showcase of the current status of architecture from around the world.
The Denmark Pavilion was one of the first ones we presented you, almost a year ago. The project, designed by BIG with ARUP and 2+1, was interesting not only from an architectural and structural point of view, but also for the danish spirit it represents.
Basically, the pavilion is a big loop on which visitors ride around on one of the 1,500 bikes available at the entrance, a chance to experience the Danish urban way. At the center of the pavilion there’s a big pool with fresh water from Copenhagen’s harbor (one of the most clean in the world), on which visitors can even swim.
© Iwan Baan
At the center of the pool you will find The Little Mermaid, a statue that has become a symbol for Denmark. And this time, it will be moved temporarily to China. In Bjarke Ingels words “it is considerably more resource efficient moving The Little Mermaid to China, than moving 1.3 billion Chinese to Copenhagen”.
After the break, more images of the completed pavilion by arch photographer Iwan Baan, including Bjarke Ingels himself riding a bike on the circular loop:
The pavilion is a monolithic structure in white painted steel which keeps it cool during the Shanghai summer sun due to its heat-reflecting characteristics. The roof is covered with a light blue surfacing texture, known from Danish cycle paths. Inside, the floor is covered with light epoxy and also features the blue cycle path where the bikes pass through the building. The steel of the facade is perforated in a pattern that reflects the actual structural stresses that the pavilion is experiencing making it a 1:1 stress test.
“Sustainability is often misunderstood as the neo-protestant notion “that it has to hurt in order to do good”. “You’re not supposed to take long warm showers – because wasting all that water is not good for the environment” or “you’re not supposed to fly on holidays – because airtraffic is bad for the environment”. Gradually we all get the feeling that sustainable life simply is less fun than normal life. If sustainable designs are to become competitive it can not be for purely moral or political reasons – they have to be more attractive and desirable than the non-sustainable alternative. With the Danish Pavilion we have attempted to consolidate a handful of real experiences of how a sustainable city – such as Copenhagen – can in fact increase the quality of life”,
- Bjarke Ingels
© Iwan Baan
© Iwan Baan
© Iwan Baan
PROJECT: Danish Pavilion at the EXPO 2010
SIZE: 3.000m2
CLIENT: EBST
COLLABORATORS: 2+1, Arup AGU, Arup Shanghai, Tongji Design Institute, Ai Wei Wei, Jeppe Hein, Martin De Thurah, Peter Funch
LOCATION : Shanghai, China
Architect: BIG
Creative Director: Bjarke Ingels
Partner-in-Charge: Finn Norkjaer
Team: Tobias Hjortdahl, Jan Magasanik, Claus Tversted, Henrick Poulsen, Niels Lund Petersen, Kamil Szoltysek, Sonja Reisinger, Anders Ulsted, Jan Borgstrom, Pauline Lavie, Teis Draiby, Daniel Sundlin, Line Gericke, Armen Menendian, Karsten Hammer Hansen, Martin W. Mortensen, Kenneth Sorensen, Jesper Larsen, Anders Tversted
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great job BIG!
this is an amzing piece of architecture!!!
Amazing… there`s no other word
in general, i think of this as a great idea, especially for the “pavilion” scheme.
http://www.archdaily.com/57922/denmark-pavilion-shanghai-expo-2010-big/29306_391261198189_566143189_3904868_7631054_n/
however, it seems to me that the linear space ends up being a little bit boring sometimes -no further resolution has been thought of perhaps?
the “perfect curve” is also not well constructed, I guess this is due to a fast construction process (I don’t know if in China construction lacks quality most of the time?).
the structural scheme is fantastic! has anyone found any more information on that?
true what takes 4 years in Europe to finish the construction takes only 1 years in China, and what lasts 400 years in Europe lasts 10 years or alike in China.
well, if it’s meant to last 6 months it’s ok I guess…
I still think all those neat curves in paper suck in real life, not neat at all… definitely a construction problem.
Thanks, n 400 yrs back before probably aliens could construct a building project such like St. Peter’s in 4 yrs?
St Peter 1506-1626; Forbidden City 1406-1420.
Others, building conservation policy difference? :-)
Good architecture needs no words, that´s the case….
so sexy!
looks more Japanese super future then danish…
so whats the taking the place of the mermaid back in cph ?
also i thought a rasterized image of the city was going to be on the facade ?
Chinese artist/provocateur Ai Wei Wei has designed a video installation that is in the harbor.
I haven’t seen it…but i’m assuming that after his detention and beating by Sichuan “thugs” he’s probably not being too confrontational with it.
great, great, great pavilion. to me, is by far the best, but …
i think it looks better in the renderings and diagrams, as opposed to the finished building. i’ve lost something in the images.
i think that the facade holes perhaps may not have the same impact than in the renders.
anyway, amazing job BIG.
what happened to the city facade?
BIG不负众望，丹麦馆的建成效果非常惊艳，远远超出效果图的表现。手头有一本Bjarke ingels的著作《YES IS MORE》，来一起看看他怎样用建筑连环画的形式对这个建筑进行解说。
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哇，我要去看看。比想象要白派一些。
wow ,whiter & brighter than i thought.
Nice job’but how it reflects Denmark?
it has free bikes and a mermaid ;)
does anyone know if this pavilion is permanent or not ?
all pavilions except for the four main pavilions related to china are to be demolished after the expo
Take a look at his keynote at TED. He explains it:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/bjarke_ingels_3_warp_speed_architecture_tales.html
Yeah Bruno, that’s a really great talk!
Lol! I’m loving his “Schwarzenegger like” accent. Priceless :)
I think it’s mainly the cycle path and the Little Mermaid
It has nice moments but it has way too much white and no nice details, looks like the physical models he always presents just got scale in size but not in details. In addition the skin looks dull. It sounds nice that “the steel of the facade is perforated in a pattern that reflects the actual structural stresses” but the result is not that impressive or stunning. I assume the perforations with the skyline of the city didn’t work? Overall I do like it because of the concept, but the final product is just hard to digest after seeing the renders and diagrams earlier. If you get to see images of the construction process they are great by the way. Thanks for the images AD
A nice tribute to Siza and his project in S.Paulo, fundação Iberê Camargo. But this is the good thing in architecture, references and RE-Invention.
Nice project!
Tribute to Siza, really??? Come on…
Ah, and Ibere Camargo is from Porto Alegre, not S. Paulo!
And Niemeyer of course!
you people are strange… please explain what’s so great about this pavilion? i would rate the Brazilian pavilion of superior quality than this pedestrian attempt to build a diagram…. it exposes how rubbish the whole idea really was in the first place….
Is this a fetishism, that we want building to look like renderings? in that sense architecture is all about the image?
or about honesty…
the renderings are supposed to show how the architecture will look like. I don´t understand what is wrong about a building that looks like it was meant to and, also, especially this project (as well as the most of BIG projects) is not only about the image, but about the idea. And find the schematic look fresh and playful.
I beleave that renders are part of the analysis. If in the first step of designing you had an image and it remained the same, that means that you wasn’t working with the project enough. All projects should change when you start working more detail it’s part of the process. what about models? should they show final result, or analyse the idea and help to develop it? I beleave that only commercial developers can make renders in “how it will be” style.
sorry for my english
the mermaid looks a little bit out of place. but i mean of course, cause it is, but still it looks just a bit weird.
but i’m guessing the pavilion is still partly unfinished since its all white and everything.
I did like the idea, but now that its build it does dissapoint me. So many handrails, facade isn’t good, its a bit bouring that the walkpath inside and on the roof is the same, not surprising to enter… the statue isn’t interesting, I lived 6 years in brussels before i saw “manneke pis”. Anyway, Uk pavilion is the best
why is anyone asking how it reflects denmark?
sure it’s a new aesthetic, but are they supposed to be building vernacular?
The entire building is about denmark because of the focus on the bikes, the idea that you ride to other pavilions on your danish bike (which is a big part of danish life). And then you have the mermaid and the water,
id say it reflects its own culture better than any pavilion i’ve seen. I like the british pavilion, but how does it reflect british culture? its hairy?
Yeah Ryan, you seem to be the only person who gets the idea! It’s all about cycling and the mermaid!
the most wonderfull creation of past decade!!!
congratulations!!!
nice, I like it.
not bad but I think it would be great in BRICKWORK :)
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
brickwork…..
making a irregular shape building?
you should go back uni to study again about the materials
Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal – especially St. Mary’s Cathedral in Red Deer, AB. Maybe be a bit nicer with the comments instead of slagging off. http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/reddeer/index.htm
Oh, is that true? Don’t tell that to Eladio Dieste.
Very impressive job.
Looks even better than in presentation.
Well done Bjarke!
Congratulations!
I like mermaid, and the scale I think is corect, cause it shows real size. First time when I visited Copenhagen, I was walking near water and hoping to see that sculpture. But when I finaly reached her, I was shocked how small she is. That tiny sculpture in the big, white, strange space responds to my impresion, and how fragile it looks… nice
Regardless about the brickwork – which I don’t agree would make this project better – I do think that it feels a bit too plastic – seemingly created in all one material. Expediency?
I wish I am Iwan Baan!! he is traveling across the globe after such incredible buildings.
On1 May, the 3 bosses from BIG surpised the local security staff. They took off their shirts and pants and jumped into the pool:
http://fmn.xnimg.cn/fmn036/20100504/0720/b_large_zDNy_5b4c00000c532d12.jpg
Old B got really close up to the statue also and realized a personal dream:
http://fmn.xnimg.cn/fmn038/20100504/0725/b_large_zXTE_08b000000d9d2d0e.jpg
美人鱼的临时的新家，像镜子一样闪亮宁静，带我进入了童年的梦境。
自行车的回旋道路，把人带到了节能，朴实又美丽的北欧丹麦。
整体柔和的弧度与白蓝的色调，超越了时空，与未来接触。
是我最喜欢的一个展馆。
The little mermaid’s new temp home, quiet and shining like a mirror, takes me back into a childhood’s dream;
The spiral bike lane – humble, green, and beautiful – leads me to the lovely Danish land;
The gently curved design with white and blue tone, penetrating time and space, bridges me into the future.
This pavilion is the one i like the most.
Isn’t it just another version of Olafur Eliasson and Kjetl Thorsen’s Serpentine Pavillion from a couple of years ago? Except not as interesting.
good job for a retro-futur.
Why to spend so much time , so much talent, so much money… just to reproduce a sixties ambiance and addiction ?
It s the most nostalgic pavillion of this word fair. Rewind me, the futur ! it s so confortable to be a refugees of vintage value, speciffically when it s white and pure…
Good job for a very chilly and poor intellectual values. Is it an architecture piece, or a “decor” from the past.
Reading: "Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily"( http://twitthis.com/sg98jd )
Very free and fresh… These buildings are just ideas about path of architecture. It is great opportinity, that countres pay for this experiments, and we can see and, most important, check and fill real impressions from realased architectural models.
Architecture: Denmark Pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010, designed by BIG: http://bit.ly/9DWgTa at @archdaily
Adorei o Pavilhão da Dinamarca http://www.archdaily.com/57922/denmark-pavilion-shanghai-expo-2010-big/
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG
http://bit.ly/9DWgTa
In some years we look back and do a heavy blush of our small and light hypes.
This is not an idea, its a known consept of circulation that the BIG studio uses on several projects until the pr guy lets them know its too much.
Get over it.
Reading: "Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily"( http://twitthis.com/sg98jd )
Check out: "Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily"( http://twitthis.com/sg98jd )
Reading: "Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily"( http://twitthis.com/sg98jd )
Fantastic! Like a super clean super fresh BIG toilet. I really like it.
Algunas imágenes del Pavellón de Dinamarca en la expo de Shanghai: http://bit.ly/9DWgTa
It is nice in big picture but in details, it would need a lot more considerations. I was there and hoped to get a ride on the bike but unfortunately, due to very large crowded people ( it really a normal condition in China)waiting to get in so I think they just changed the diagram how you experience the building, only allow walking into and out of the building. So such a hot damn experience.
So I think the consideration of real situations should be thought out in design too.
Yes, I agree with you regarding the details. There was a drizzle when I went there the other day and the epoxy floor is extremely slippery. I was hoping to get a bike ride too but there was a 1hr line up. Tough luck…
Bottom line, it was still a great experience walking in the loop. Good job BIG
Quando a arquitetura é boa, poucas coisas precisam ser ditas: http://migre.me/RuWX – http://vimeo.com/12125635 – http://migre.me/RuZF
RT @SPR_Design: Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG
http://bit.ly/9DWgTa
Wow! The famous mermaid of Denmark just got into China. This should be great for tourist attraction in Shanghai. At least children will no longer wonder the look of Christian Andersen popularized mermaid.
yeaahh! very good.
nice concept…
oh bjarke..sooooo sexy!!
wow!it is very beautiful
This is an interesting project, seeing how you can take a simple activity like cycling and create a magnificent architectural feature out of it. Think about it…cycling? But here it is! With a water feature at the center. It is iconic definitely, good stuff from BIG.
Interesting structure. Nice organic flow mixed with simplicity of the white facade.
1.I like the façade of the building which let a small amount of natural lighting enter the building and create a texture inside it.
2.The idea of having sitting area in the roof, bicycle and walk path, and bicycle parking makes this building unique and active. Also, from the render I can imagine lifestyle and sustainable urban development of the city.
3.From the plans, the loops interconnect between inside and outside which makes flexible movement within the building.
4.The night view is amazing. I think the lighting affect the appearance of the building in day and night time and could make it more attractive.
5.From my point of view, the proposal sticks to the speech, and I´m sure the end result will be one of the most impressive pavilions.
Over all I like this building <3 hope to visit it someday.
this pavilion may act as a landmark in its area, more over the pure white colour of the façade gives us the sense that this project is clean, neat and pleasant to be in. yet because of the fact that there is no landscape surrounding this pavilion you may feel that the design doesn’t corporate enough with in the surroundings and we may feel that it can be moved from this place to another one,,,, while in my opinion a good design couldn’t be moved from its place because its too engaged with it….
Love everything. Just amazing. Speechless….
10:39 AM Jun 6th
Belo trabalho modernista, eclético, Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010: http://tinyurl.com/35oc3h4
8:00 AM Aug 18th
RT @SPR_Design: Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG http://bit.ly/9DWgTa <-Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim?
4:21 PM Feb 15th
its beautiful!! Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/CzePMji via @archdaily
8:20 PM Feb 18th
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/yx41bq4 via @archdaily
1:10 PM Feb 19th
I'm absolutly agree that Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG is building of a year!http://t.co/OsGDM4O via @archdaily
12:50 AM Feb 22nd
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/qHm8429 via @archdaily @astylemaster/a-style-master-s-rue
3:24 PM Mar 7th
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bulet,,,,bulet,,,, @,@ http://www.archdaily.com/57922/denmark-pavilion-shanghai-expo-2010-big/
3:15 PM May 7th
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/ToZ8Mxq via @archdaily
4:34 AM Aug 22nd
The Architect was a guest speaker in my design principles class:
http://t.co/tfNO6KS via @archdaily
6:21 PM Nov 4th
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/Iq3SZ3zC vía @archdaily
10:44 PM Nov 21st
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/pewHtMkq via @archdaily
9:01 AM Jan 29th
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/qiyjujDN via @archdaily
4:33 PM Feb 2nd
Denmark Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG | ArchDaily http://t.co/H8bAsOor via @archdaily