Touring German Pavilion of Expo 2010_International Participation_Shanghai World Expo

It is the epitome of a city, boasting the creation of a “harbor image” and a “dynamic tunnel” with urban scenes from Germany. This is the “Balancity”, a magnificent crystallization of Germanic originality and technology.

A huge crowd of people gathered in spite of the torridity, for the topping off ceremony of German Pavilion. Wine glasses were smashed against the steel structure to express the best wishes, a flower crown slowly ascended to the top of the pavilion along with the melodious music… Time seemed to have jumped to 2010. We walked towards German Pavilion, and started a unique journey through the “Balancity”, a city of harmony and balance.

Who Are Jens and Yanyan

Right in front of us is the pavilion architecture wrapped in silver building membrane. A terraced landscape stretches from the ground level up to the third floor of the pavilion. Four exhibition structures appear to hover, creating a perfect roof for visitors.

Around the entrance, several huge postcards of German landscapes and landmarks from the various federal states are positioned. These postcards serving as photo-taking points, were written by Jens to Yanyan, the two fictitious protagonists who will accompany visitors on their journey of discovery through the pavilion.

Following the visitor flow upwards to a ramp, we see “cubic photos”, the aerial shots of typical German urban structures. Along with interactive exhibit-posts, these “cubic photos” open up a multitude of impressions—as though you’re looking through a telescope into the original and unique German cities.

A “Habor” Moved into the Pavilion

In groups of 20, visitors are let into the exhibition hall. Going through a darkroom, entering a moving walkway and passing a dynamic tunnel, they are drawn into a multimedia world of urban images and sounds: trains, cars, buses and loudspeaker announcements interspersed with bird singing and children’s laughter from a rowboat.

The end of the tunnel opens up to a deep-blue underwater room with sounds of water, air bubbles, and shimmering reflections. In a moment, visitors feel like emerging through the water surface and entering a fantastic futuristic environment: The Hamburg harbor reposes in the sunlight, while puffy white clouds are floating in the blue sky and seagulls are flying over the sea. The modern architecture composes a magnificent skyline.

The archetype of the “Harbor”, know as the “HafenCity” is adjacent to the center of Hamburg, covering an area of 155 hectares. A new urban center has been created inside this area through the skillful design of the urban planning group. “It combines the various spaces for housing, office, and cultural activities.” In this pavilion, every visitor will be able to experience the modern “Harbor” as they would in the real Hamburg.

Moving a harbor city into the national pavilion is truly a great creation made by Germans.

Walking on the Alley Where City and Nature Dovetail

Leaving the “Harbor”, a large lobby unfolds upon the urban skyline, with huge presentations of architectural designs, models, sketches and drawings of urban planning. This is the “Planning Office”, focusing on the concepts of innovative and sustainable urban development.

Walking out of the “Planning Office” and stepping into the “Garden” and the “Depot”, visitors will get a first-hand experience of how nice it is to have a piece of green land in the city. Also presented here are the hi-tech innovative design products from Germany.

Visitors then enter a room full of innovative ideas—the “Factory”. Displayed on the shelves reaching up to the ceiling are goods for daily life, unique inventions, and design works all from Germany. “This room is always in motion.” The conveyor belts move above the visitors, keeping the exhibited items in constant movement. In a corner of the factory, various production materials are also presented. You could touch and feel them as you like.

Walking out of the “Factory”, you will enter a “Park” where the wind blows mildly, and the sky is bright with sunshine. The scent of flowers and the singing of birds seem to invite you to take a break and enjoy yourself here. It is true that the journey through the “Balancity” is a discovery in both city and nature.

Hip-hop Culture is Spreading

So far, visitors have been walking inside the labyrinth-like pavilion, from the tunnel to the plaza, and from the courtyard to the harbor. Now they arrive at the “Opera”, standing in the spotlight. A dynamic backstage is open for them to explore. Here visitors will feel for themselves the significance of culture to urban life.

Berlin Hip-hop Base may come to Expo 2010. We’ll be able to experience the youth culture of Germany. The hip-hop culture is so vigorous that it has gone beyond the national and language barriers, spreading around the world and coming into the German Pavilion.

We’ve seen the street dance, a performance carried out in streets, and a type of “graffiti art” based on the urban culture. After that, we were entertained by the “Open Air Jame” show empowered by the electrical source of street lights. Another great show is the vocal percussion, relying on nothing but their mouths and microphones in creating wonderful rhythms.

Discovering the “Energy Source”

The “City Centre”, served as a waiting room, where the visitors wait to be admitted to the show in the “Energy Source”. “It is the heart of ‘Balancity’ and the ultimate highlight of German Pavilion.” Stepping into the “Energy Source”, a impressive cone-shaped room, visitors on the galleries can look out onto the room’s focal point: a huge metal sphere, three meters in diameter and fitted with thousands of LEDs, which will display images from Germany.

Purely by shouting together, visitors can set the sphere, the source of energy, in motion. Such a message is thus conveyed that it is possible to get things moving, quite literally, if people act together.

With the running of the sphere, a variety of images from Germany demonstrating the theme of “Balancity” flash onto the sphere. Then, gradually, the sphere slows down and finally becomes still.

The room gleams in a green light and a natural harmonious atmosphere spreads in the hall. A “blue sky” opens up above the hall, and an image of the “Earth” appears on the sphere. A seed that represents hope comes out on the “Earth”. It grows and blossoms, and gives birth to a new life…Visitors are extremely excited, and seem to have been filled with the energy created through their concerted efforts.