Spanish Pavilion uses wicker boards as media for west-east communication

The Spanish Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 will adopt the traditional Spanish wicker-weaving technology to build a wicker basket-shaped pavilion. The structure departs from the square box design common in traditional architecture to provide large space thanks to the basket-like design.

Spanish Pavilion

8,524 wicker boards of various textures and colors will be used to weave the flowing outer wall of the Spanish Pavilion. These wicker boards, all of which are hand-woven, will cover an area of 12,000 square meters if they are laid out.

The flowing exterior design of the Spanish Pavilion looks like the waves moving up and down in the Mediterranean Sea, which is very dynamic. The design also mimics a city that always moves and changes.

Apart from the unique wicker design, the outer wall of the Spanish Pavilion will also adopt calligraphy. Ancient Chinese characters will be pieced together using different colors of wicker to present a Chinese poem, an image representing poetry and painting.

Which Chinese poem will be presented, however, is currently still under discussion. Benedetta Tagliabue, the designer of the pavilion, said that a beautiful and suitable poem will be chosen so as to leave an impression as beautiful as a poem does on visitors. "Visitors will recognize it as the Spanish Pavilion when they see the poem even in a distance."

Translated by LOTO