City model of the future
Text: Vesa Puoskari
Photos: Lucas Schifres, Pekka Toivanen
The aim of the Shanghai World Expo, which opened under the theme Better City − Better Life, is to develop cities as an environment in which to live.
"Shanghai is China's largest city, so the theme is particularly apt here," says Annikka Alanko, Pavilion Director of Finland's exhibition pavilion, the Giant's Kettle.
Countries participating in the exhibition will explore the main theme through their own focuses. Finland's perspective is "Sharing Inspiration."
"The world of the future will be built largely upon cities. We want to exchange views on how to develop cities as an environment in which to live. Key factors are, for example, clean drinking water, sanitation, mobility and leisure," Alanko says.
At the World Expo the story of Finland will be told through, among other things, wellbeing, education, innovation and sustainable development.
"We also want to showcase Finnish engineering skills. In this sense, the use of UPM's new ProFi material in the pavilion building constitutes an excellent example of innovation," says Alanko.
Ecological friendliness an asset
Finland's pavilion is regarded as an architectural hit in China. The facade of the Giant's Kettle is clad using injection-moulded shingles made of UPM's wood plastic composite produced from recycled materials.
Jouni Lehtonen, who is responsible for the project on behalf of the Finnish export promotion centre Finpro, is confident that the ecological compatibility of the Giant's Kettle will appeal to the Chinese. "Environmental considerations have been increasingly highlighted in China following strong economic growth. The Giant's Kettle will thus undoubtedly interest the local population as well," says Lehtonen, who has lived in China for a number of years.
A fascinating shape
According to a survey carried out by two international consultancy firms, the Giant's Kettle designed by Teemu Kurkela is one of the exhibition's most interesting buildings. The pavilion ranked third after the Chinese and Danish buildings in an advance survey.
Wu Daheng, a reporter with Shanghai Radio and Television, compares the Giant's Kettle pavilion to a beautiful jade vase as described in an old Chinese poem.
"Finland's pavilion is a concrete manifestation of this classical image. The admiration is based on emotions. Besides sharing inspiration, the Giant's Kettle showcases the Nordic countries and
Finnish quality and lifestyle," Wu Daheng says.
The World Expo opened on 1 May and will run until the end of October. It is estimated that approximately 70 million visitors will visit the exhibition area, which is located in the centre of Shanghai. Some four million visitors are expected to visit the Finnish pavilion.
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