'Yin and yang' of urban and rural life
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| The facility has a ski lift and netting studded with red solar cells creating light. |
Showcasing the symbiosis between urban and rural environments, the Shanghai World Expo Switzerland Pavilion "was inspired by the concept of balance, as symbolized in the traditional Chinese concept of yin and yang", according to Manuel Salchli, deputy commissioner general of the exhibit.
Designed by Buchner and Brndler Architects of Basel, the site's hybrid of technology and nature illustrates a unity between the city and countryside.
"Rural and urban areas are complementary yet opposing, and the combination of the two ensures a balance between society and nature," Salchli said.
"Regular and healthy interaction between rural and urban areas is necessary for sustainable and harmonious development in ecological, economic and social areas."
The pavilion also has a playful, interactive facade that shows the large amount of unused energy surrounding people every day.
Energy that can be harnessed from the environment surrounding the pavilion includes that from the sun or even the flashes made by visitor cameras.
The facility also features a ski lift and netting studded with red solar cells creating light.
"For Chinese visitors, I would strongly recommend a ride on the chairlift when they visit the pavilion because it links the urban with the natural space on the rooftop and is considered one of the highlights of Expo Garden," Salchli said.
The chairlift takes visitors from the ground floor where the exhibition focuses on Swiss urban life to the roof where plants comprise an alpine grassland.
Visitors are able to enjoy a four-minute ride to serenity while viewing the Expo site and the Lupu Bridge from the roof.
The interior of the exhibition hall illustrates the notion that a responsible citizen is the prerequisite for a healthy and sustainable future.
Twelve Swiss people are presented in life-sized images on display screens talking about their expectations, dreams and vision of the future.
An IMAX screen wall shows a high-definition film on the Alps offering broad landscape views of Switzerland that sweep with deliberate slowness across the mountain scenery.
To ease queuing time, those waiting to enter the Swiss Pavilion can download mobile games developed by the exhibit's organizers.
Players have a chance to win a souvenir and the highest game score each month will win one of the intelligent solar cells dotting the pavilion's interactive facade that are valued at 260 yuan.
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