“an abstract representation of the city, a dike, the river and the harbour, with water as the binding element…”
Both the spatial and narrative design of the Rotterdam Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai are devised by TomDavid Architects. In essence the design is an abstract representation of the city, a dike, the river and the harbour, with water as the binding element. Central component of the design is the specially developed water printer.
“…rise of the city’s water level.”
Together they depict a typical Rotterdam solution to the issue of heavy rainfall and subsequent rise of the city’s water level.
The implementation of the design is characterised by three materials and functions: sailcloth [information and image], concrete [shape] and steel [construction and décor]. The robust simplicity of the design, combined with the water-show induced great enthusiasm in the 1 million plus visitors.
Facts
Project name: World Expo Shanghai
Location: Shanghai [China]
Exhibition space: 400 m2
Credits
Design team: Tom van Odijk, David Baars
Graphic design: Ping Pong Design
Curator: Richard Ouwerkerk
