For the last couple of years we’ve been lucky enough to work in Shanghai, one of the world’s most dynamic cities, developing the visitor experience for the New Zealand pavilion at the World Expo 2010. Our company was part of a multidisciplinary consortium for the project which also included Architecture Warren + Mahoney, garden designers Dawnfinder, and Coffey Projects.

The overall theme of the Expo was ‘Better Cities, Better Life’. The New Zealand pavilion showcased our distinctive natural/urban lifestyle, linking it back to the Maori creation story of Tane, who pushed apart land and sky to create the world of light which we share with all living things. The pavilion was visited by over 4.5 million people over six months, and won a silver award for theme development – placing it in the top eight of the 250 pavilions at Expo.

For our client, the New Zealand government, the pavilion was an important tool in developing our vital relationship with China.