The slogan of the French Pavilion at the World Expo

As the first country to confirm its participation in the Shanghai World Expo, France has collected nearly 50 national pavilion design proposals. In the end, the "Sensual City" designed by Jacques Ferrier stood out from many candidates for its innovation, architectural aesthetics and the message conveyed by the work itself: the design of the venue emphasized energy saving and environmental protection, and highlighted the role of people in urban life through the concept of "five senses" core position. "A city that can provide comfortable life and various sensory experiences is an interpretation of the theme of 'city, better life'. The French Pavilion, which integrates Chinese and French cultures, is intended to be a harmonious way from a holistic perspective. Addressing the challenges of sustainable development,” said José Freches, President of the French Expo Bureau.

The French Pavilion uses the "balance concept" as the background of architectural design: technology and sensibility, creation and permanence, innovation and quality, behavior and thought, urban and regional balance. At the Shanghai Expo 2010, this simple and powerful message will give France an outstanding national image. The concept of innovative and dynamic balance abandons the old contrast between "traditional France and contemporary France".

In Area C of the Expo Park next to the Huangpu River waterfront area, the 6,000-square-meter venue broke ground in November last year. Although the construction site is still dusty, designer Jacques Ferrier The scene of people wandering around the venue has begun to be sketched:

Starting from the queuing area, visitors are placed in a pure French courtyard. Escalators slowly take visitors to the top floor of the pavilion. The exhibition area is spread out on the ramp, which leads back to the starting point along the downhill path. Visitors can admire the French courtyard through the glass, and on the other side of the tour route is a visually powerful video wall. Expound the impression of urban life through some old French movie clips or images of modern France.

Gardens are the only common ground between Chinese and French architectural cultures, and food is no exception. On the top floor of the exhibition hall, there will also be an exquisite French restaurant, where famous chefs will showcase the diversity of French cooking skills. Passing through the restaurant and strolling through the French-style garden on the roof, you can have a panoramic view of the Huangpu River. The entire visit will present visitors with the vitality of France and its art of living. Near the end, a work by a famous French Impressionist painter will bring the journey to a successful conclusion.

Finally, the visitors returned to the ground floor of the exhibition hall and had close contact with the garden again, either lingering in the exhibition area or taking a break. The shallow pool located in the middle of the exhibition hall can also drain water, and various cultural festivals are held on this platform. The dazzling and brilliant lighting effects make the French Pavilion glow again even at night.

“China is one of the countries that has gathered the most classic buildings in the past 10 years, and France is the country that has hosted the most World Expos. We have added more Chinese elements to the design, such as the geography of the north-south The location and design of the observation deck perpendicular to the horizontal plane imitate the structure of the Chinese courtyard. This approach of being off the ground can fully display the beauty of water and the reflection of water on the horizontal plane, with streams flowing along the French courtyard and small fountain performances. , water garden, forming a fresh and cool world," said Jacques Ferrier.

Confidence brought by the Shanghai World Expo

The World Expo has always been the best stage to display the country's image, and the National Pavilion is the best embodiment on the stage. In previous World Expos, the cost spent on pavilion design and construction accounted for 43% of the total investment. Although the current financial crisis was not anticipated by the French government, the investment of 50 million euros has not been affected.

“The venue construction and operating expenses will account for 60% of the total budget. If divided equally, it will cost 50,000 yuan per square meter. Although the financial crisis was unforeseen by us, we still There will be no reduction in budget. We have already planned to sign 10 sponsors, currently including LVMH, Sanofi-aventis and Lafarge as our chief partners. and will sponsor us with nearly 4 million euros," said José Freches.

As the venue for the 1900 World Expo, the Paris World Expo was considered a turning point in the global economic crisis at that time. Through this World Expo, countries around the world began to enter industrialized societies, and changes in production technology made the world economy move forward. high-speed development track.

Compared with the Paris World Expo, France is also full of confidence in the Shanghai World Expo. "The economic crisis has brought us many unexpected difficulties, but the Shanghai World Expo will make us see hope. The hosting of the World Expo may not play any role in economic essence, but it can bring us an optimistic attitude. Countries around the world The high-tech products on display will inject confidence into our economic development, which is what people are missing during the financial crisis," said José Freches.

French companies have shown great enthusiasm for the World Expo. Lafarge Group has provided new building materials for the construction of the French Pavilion, and L'Oreal will provide professional cosmetics for the hostesses at the French Pavilion at the World Expo. As one of the sponsors of the French Pavilion, Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy Group also hopes to display corporate culture with French characteristics at the Expo. “The huge potential vitality of the Chinese market is an opportunity that no company will miss. As a high-end retail company that has taken root in China, we hope to use a global stage like the World Expo to demonstrate our confidence in the future development of the Chinese market. Although some emotional factors will affect people's love for French brands, we will never waver in our long-term development plan in the Chinese market," said Wu Yue, China Director of Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy Group.