Shanghai Expo 2010. Brasil Pavilion Competition   Shanghai, China

Client: SYMA China
Work Description; Basic Museologic and Museographic Project.
Date: 2009
Area: 2200 m2
Use: Pavilion

Work by: Marko Brajovic and Daniela Ruiz


Description (ING):

MOTIVATIONS
The Universal Expositions are practically the result of the industrial revolution, focused on the very beginnings in showing the progress more than presenting great architectures.
The 158 years of expos can be divided in two big periods; the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution, and the periods between the wars as a violent transition.

We believe a new period of Universal Expositions is beginning. A globalize era, with no national pressures, and pure technological shows off. We believe that finally the technological revolution is getting fused with our social and ethical revolution. New emergencies are required, and new solutions have to be found.

The form of the new architectures and its contents has to be a result of intelligent and sensible constructive and real proposals. The technology and nature have to come together, offering new solutions, new spaces, and new lifestyles for better life for everybody.


CONCEPT
The project of a Brazilian pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010 offers a new approach to function of exposition architecture. We understand that city works as an Ecosystem, so we are proposing an Urban Organism, an incubator of ideas and practical solutions. An active “attitude” more than a hollow box containing entertaining toys.
The Urban Organism project offers an integral practical, cultural and educative example, as a short term (EXPO) and long term (future urban green area) project.
The pavilion project strategy, start in Brazil where precious plants are collected transported to China, where the plant are adapted in a pavilion and then donated to a Shanghai new urban green area.
The pavilion is an incubator, a greenhouse that serves as a climate adaptation space for the plants, visited by the public.
Bioclimatic control technology, agricultural technology and digital technology plays together is creating an “Urban Eco System” that grow during the expo, pulsing life to the city.
The auto sustainable building is a zero emission concept; as a unique example of Carbon Neutral pavilion for the Shanghai EXPO 2010.

The public is visiting an alive architecture, educative, while sensual and intelligent fusion of technology and nature.
The active and participative approach proportion an interactive full experience. Brazilian culture, nature and technology will be fused in an ongoing excursus thorough a seductive space.
The process of cultivating and growing life (culture and nature), will finally find it reason when the expo will be over, and the majestic Brazilian trees will be implanted in a new urban green area.

A project of a new plaza for Shanghai City will be developed as an ongoing workshop taking place in the Brazilian Urban Organism Pavilion during the expo.
Architects, urban planning engineers, landscape designer, agriculture engineers and biologist, will be invited, presenting conferences and lectures at the open workshop.
During the workshop, the invited professionals, together with citizens and students, will design different sustainable solutions for a new green area donated to Shanghai City.


ARCHITECTURE AND ECOSYSTEM ELEMENTS
The project of the Brazilian Pavilion will be implanted in the already existing architecture. The actual no-supporting walls will be removed giving place to the new features will be implemented;
a) Adaptive Membrane. That simple mechanism is like “breathing”, its controls the building microclimate and the inside ecosystem by direction natural ventilation. The semitransparent plastic membrane twists locally in digitally controlled points according to the internal ecosystem needs.
Practically, it will work as a skin, cooling or heating the inside, while protecting from direct insulation and humidity waste. The double membrane insulates and control temperature and as well the membrane serves as illumination effect as well. By refraction, reflection and transparency of the polymer stripes, the LED light will washed the surface, and create colored effects.
b) Lightweight catwalks. As Example of last technology achievements in lightweight structures, the “plane wings” catwalks will be the only construction elements embedded in the existing box frame structure of the pavilion. Installed as “streets” over the first floor, the catwalks offer a walk through the “forest” divides internal area functions, support and cultivates the vertical hydroponic system. As well, they are used for supporting all the technical equipment.
c) Renewable Energy. Solar photovoltaic panels will provide enough energy to supply the main cultivation systems microclimate (water pumps, irrigation and humidity control).
d) Microclimate. Simple air conditioning systems is based on “”Evapotranspirators” controls the ecosystem and architecture temperature. This is a natural way to air condition a space that creates naturally conditioned spaces between 8-10°C cooler than the surrounding outdoor. So the visitors can enjoy a naturally cooled indoor.
e) Irrigation and rainwater. Rain waters are collected and stored in the water tanks that serve all the direct and indirect (Evapotranspirators) irrigation system. All the water in the system is recycled, filtered and re-used.
f) Trees and Hydroponic Plants. We choose native Brazilian tree spaces with adaptation facilities to be transported and installed in the “Urban Organism” pavilion. Only certificated and regularly planted trees will be selected. The trees will be cultivated, transported and installed in the same Big Bags (semitransparent biodegradable plastic bags).
Hydroponic plants will follow the same example. Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro water and ponos labour) is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, without soil. They will be installed in capillary semitransparent “curtains”, functioning as space divisions as well.
g) Illumination. The natural illumination is obtained by filtering and augmenting light refracted in the transparent water tanks and by the Adaptive Membrane semi-transparent character. As a green house light box, the pavilion will absorb and control the incoming light during the day. Semi-transparent membrane will permit a perception of the inner complexity and the architecture and ecosystem symbiosis.
At night, the pavilion will communicate the internal activities as video projections will be done on the same semitransparent skin from the inside, creating direct visual invitation to the outdoor. Low consumptions LED lights are installed inside the double membrane and create visual effects while membrane twisting.
h) Services. Offices, information center, vertical distributions, emergency exits, technical roof complete with security systems and all the equipments will be integrated in the full scale final project.


CONTENTS AND SET DESIGN
The contents of the pavilion will focus on national and international practical examples, case study and creation experiences where the exposition will embrace;
a) “Urban Ecosystems” - concepts.
b) “Pulsing Cities” and “Pulsing Megalopolis?” - Brazilian case study and best practices.
c) “Brasilia” – 5o years after.
d) “Living Forest” – Cultural and economical sustainability in Brazilian forests.
e) “Urban versus Rural” – People, Community and Family organization.
f) “Urban Art” – New urban tribes and cultural migrations in Brazil.
g) “Energy Crises and Renewable Green Solutions” in Brazil and worldwide.
h) “Revolution in Agriculture Technology” in Brazil.


The actions will embrace;
a) Conferences and lectures.
b) Open Workshop for a Better City (new green area project)
c) Hydroponic plantation practical workshop.

The set design of the pavilion will follow the language of the architecture concept, where all the exhibit elements will be integrated with natural elements. Visually, the agriculture technology will be hybridizing with audio visual technology.
LCD, interactive systems are embedded in the architecture and fused with the building eco system.
Videos, motion graphics, real-time pavilion Eco System Survey are projected on the internal LCDs and Adapting Membrane Wall.

As a sensual and seductive space, the plan of the pavilion will be distributed as a city map, the different areas will be indentified by visual identity. The pavilion as a Green House, as a Green City and Urban Eco System that in a macro scale represents an example of a possible cityscape.

The identity of the pavilion will express the Brazilian ambient as phenomenological experience; smells, colors, lights, reflections, music, textures, landscape, pulsing plants, water and shadows. Practically we will use the basis of all the Brazilian folklore strategies in designing elements and sensations, but here pure and infinite, as natural phenomena. That’s how we express the infinite creativity of the Brazilian Culture.

Tables for workshops and conferences, accommodations and a bar are distributed in the internal building urbanism.
As “organs” the different expositions areas, connect and integrate between each other through transparency, permeability of Membrane Walls.



GOALS
• Propose a model of architecture and contents pavilion that reflex the actual Brazilian and global attitude towards new responsibilities in sustainable urban planning.
• Offer a remarkable and unique experience for a public in participating in the active process of making a “better city for a better life.”
• Creating the first Carbon Neutral pavilion in the Shanghai EXPO 2010.
• Seeking for a LEED Certification.
• Propose a concrete action, a practical example, with a real result in donating precious Brazilian trees and a project for a new urban area to the city of Shanghai.
• Show different technologies, products, Brazilian private brands, sponsors and national programs that propose solution for a Green City.
• Developing approaches to Urban Design that provide for health and opportunity for citizens.