Kossmann.dejong Designs Thema Pavilion for World Expo 2010

May 2010 will see the largest World Expo in history take place in China, with 200 participating countries and 70 million visitors expected to attend.

Dutch design studio Kossmann.dejong in partnership with Hypsos Leisure Asia from Hong Kong have won the international competition for exhibition design & build of the "Urbanian Pavilion", one of the five Theme Pavilions at the World Expo Shanghai 2010.

At present half of the world population lives in a city.

This is expected to grow to 75% by 2050.

Every day 150,000 people leave the countryside to find a better life in the city.

It is in the face of this development that for this World Expo the chosen theme is Better City, Better Life.

The theme presents a new way of thinking, new technologies and new practices to realise a healthy and sustainable urban life.

The exhibition design for the "Urbanian Pavilion" focuses on the sub-theme "urban population".

According to Herman Kossmann, director of the design studio, "a challenging subject for an exhibition".

"We're going to use a unique way of gathering content for the exhibition, during 7 months we will follow the daily life of a number of families in 10 different cities around the world."

The total area of the "Urbanian Pavilion" amounts to 14.000 m2, with an amazing internal height of 22 meters.

Kossmann.dejong is designing this exhibition together with Hypsos Leisure Asia and their China partner Jimei, responsible for engineering and project support.