Bailianjing Expo Park, Art Pavilions China, Huangpu river Architecture, Architect, Project

Bailianjing Expo Park Shanghai : Chinese Art Pavilions

Shanghai Art Pavilions – design by Taranta Creations

8 Sep 2011

Bailianjing Expo Park

Shanghai, China
2011
Architects: Taranta Creations

photo : Zhang Jun Photography

Project Description

Taranta Creations installation at shanghai Bailianjing expo park

Abstract

Taranta Creations has designed a series of art pavilions along the Hangpu river. When the pavilions are finally finished, they will facilitate and support a diversity of typical Chinese activities that take place in parks.

photos : Zhang Jun Photography

After expo

Bailianjing park is located in the north of Pudong section of the former expo site, along the Huangpu river. Already opened during the China Expo 2010, the park claims its crucial role after the expo. While most of the expo structures are currently demolished, the park remains as a permanent public waterfront.

Besides the maintenance of the china pavilion, the expo exhibition center, the Mercedes Benz stadium and the expo boulevard, it is unclear what will happen with the large amount of unoccupied land after the torn down of all the country and corporation pavilions. Continuing the theme of the expo “better city, better life” the green waterfront should function as an attractor of high quality urban developments. A series of art installations along the green belt are part of the landscape design. Among the designers for the different art installations was Taranta Creations.

photos : Zhang Jun Photography

Park life

If you visit the parks in shanghai, you will notice that the Chinese people use these public spaces extensively. From early in the morning till dusk, people come to the park to meet, exercise, eat or relax. You find people practicing tai chi, dancing, singing karaoke, drinking tea or playing the typical Chinese mahjong game.

The objective of our design was to create sculptures that added more than only visually quality to the park. We wanted to create an installation that enables and facilitates this typical park life. Inspired by the diversity of Chinese recreational cultures, each sculpture is designated for a specific function to suit for multiple purposes. One sculpture will be equipped with microphones and a screen, so it can be used for singing karaoke. Another will contain trays to store chess and card games. In one of the pavilions you can place bottles, for keeping your drinks cold during the hot summers. Or you can dance on the tunes produced by the “jukebox” sculpture.

Tea pavilions

The sculptures are designed as small pavilions. This way we create a reference to the ancient Chinese Fengkafei tea pavilions, which have always been small centers for recreational and social purposes. Given the location next to the river, we decided to place the pavilions on poles. Not only does this protect the pavilions against a flood from the river, but also makes people aware of this existing threat. As a contrast to the normally gray sky that you usually will experience in shanghai, we choose to execute the pavilions in fresh and bright colors. The colors in combination with the shapes give the cluster of pavilions the appearance of candy. As we believe our pavilions can be the “candy” for people to visit the park. small wind turbines placed on top of the pavilions provide the pavilions with the necessary electricity. During the night the pavilions light the environment.

photos : Zhang Jun Photography

Bubble gate

at the start of the path that leads towards the pavilions we place a pavilion that represents the modern version of the old Chinese gate. The bubble shape gate is a reminder of the flamboyant architecture that we have experienced at the expo pavilions.

In progress

Currently the “hardware” of the pavilions has been produced. The colorful shelves are placed on the poles. As the hinterland development will take place and the park will be used more intensively, the different “software” will be installed within the pavilions. This will be the moment the pavilions can show their true potential, by presenting not only their aesthetic quality but also playing an important role in actively enhancing the public life.
Taranta Creations