Officials unveil winning design for Expo 2010

Czech pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai, photo: CTK

On Tuesday, Czech officials announced the results of a nationwide tender on the design of the Czech pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The winning entry was put forward by Film Dekor – a film specialising in interiors, model manufacturing, and set design. What will the pavilion look like? Find out here.

In the past, Film Dekor has worked on successful productions such as Casino Royale, Hellboy or Bathory, now the company may reach its biggest audience yet. On Tuesday Czech officials announced the firm had been chosen as the winner of a nationwide tender for the design of the Czech pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai - a 185-million crown project. Overall, the Czech entry is expected to total 520 million.The theme of the Czech exhibit, announced earlier, is “The Fruits of Civilisation” – and Film Dekor’s design adds to that by stressing motifs of urbanisation and city life.

The very façade of the pavilion will feature a silhouetted map of Prague’s historic centre, black on white. Up close will it grow clear the map is made from thousands of hockey pucks: as anyone who remembers Nagano ’98 will know, hockey remains an immensely popular sport in the Czech Republic. The interior of the pavilion will then feature dynamic exhibits overhead, providing visitors with plenty of room to move. Film Dekor’s Jaromír Švarc:

“Visitors entering the pavilion will be able to move around easily, stopping as they wish to examine specific items and multimedia presentations.”

Artistic projects inside specially made for the Expo inside will reflect such themes as the environment, transport, and technology. They will include works by well-known Czech artists such as the group Rafani or producer and composer Jan P. Muchow, as well as the highly-respected David Černý, known for a number of installations around Prague including the futuristic babies that scale the Žižkov TV tower.

The Czech pavilion in Shanghai will cover 2,000 square metres and is expected to see thousands of visitors daily from May – October 2010.