The Chilean pavilion has become one of the foremost attractions at Expo Shanghai

1274809367-img-0688-1000x750

With around 15,000 visitors a day, the building has captivated the Chinese public with attractions such as the “Well of the Antipodes” and original products from our country. Also, in July it will receive a delegation of architects from the AOA.
Only two weeks after Expo Shanghai 2010 opened its doors to the public, the Chilean Pavilion has become one of the main attractions of the event, receiving around 15,000 visitors a day and generating a sale of products worth US$ 5 million.
Over an area of 2,500 square meters and with an investment of US$ 30 million, the building was designed by the architectural offices Sabbagh Arquitectos and built of steel, pine wood and recycled glass. Because of the exhibition’s short duration, it was decided that all of the materials used in it, with the exception of the foundations, could be dismantled and recycled.
The pavilion, whose theme is “City of Relations”, has placed the emphasis on the successful solutions that Chile has carried out regarding different urban problems, among which is the State housing policy.

"The Chilean Pavilion in Expo Shanghai 2010 is proving to be the global investment that we are studying in China”, said the commissioner-general for Chile of the universal exhibition, Hernán Somerville, who was also recently appointed Chile’s ambassador to China. “Hundreds of Chilean companies are exhibiting their products at this universal fair", he added.

The building includes different exhibition halls, a cafeteria, an exhibitors’ area and shops where copper handmade objects, wines and pisco are sold. Moreover, prominent among the presentations is the 3.8 meter long trunk from a Mediterranean Cypress tree which, to visitors’ surprise, emits different sounds from its cracks, which represent Chile. However, the main attraction is the “Well of the Antipodes”, a hole at whose bottom, real images can be seen of Chile and which is inspired upon the myth that “if you bore a hole in Chile, you will reach China”.

At the beginning of July, the Chilean Pavilion will receive a delegation of representatives from the Association of Architectural Offices (AOA) who will organize different seminars on the architecture in our country, together with an exhibition of projects carried out by leading architects in Chile.