Idea for Expo site afterlife: Put consulates there
By Zha Minjie |
June 30, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS Wu Zhiqiang, the chief planner of the Shanghai World Expo, sees it, the Expo village in the northeast corner of the Expo site would make a great new home for the city's foreign consulates.
Ideally, Wu said yesterday, about 100 foreign consulates could be moved to the site in the Pudong New Area over the next 20 years.
It's just one of the ways that existing Expo pavilions or structures can serve different functions once the Expo ends on October 31, Wu said.
"Actually we drafted the post-Expo plan for the site even before thinking of the master plan for the duration of the fair," Wu said.
Nobody, however, seems to have told the consulates. Staff at two consulates told the Shanghai Daily yesterday that they had heard of no such relocation plans.
At present, many foreign consulates are located around Huaihai Road and Hengshan Road, typically occupying buildings of historic interest.
The Expo village now provides apartments and offices for officials from participating countries and organizations. Besides housing foreign consulates, Wu said it could also be a future location for high-end and regular hotels.
Under International Exposition Bureau rules, pavilions are to be torn down immediately after a six-month World Expo expires. But a few buildings may remain.
One of these in Shanghai will be the China Pavilion. Wu said it will become a museum focusing Chinese traditional cultures. The Performance Center, the Expo Center, the Expo Boulevard and the Theme Pavilion also will be kept after the fair ends.
"It sends a strong message that the Expo would make urban life better and sustainable, as large-scale historical buildings will be preserved and others would use energy saving methods," Wu said.
Overall, said Wu, "the site will be a new city center merging culture, ecosystem and international communication together."
The 1958 Brussels Expo in Belgium left the Atomic Tower and a memorial park. The 1962 Seattle Expo delivered the Space Needle and a series of buildings used as museums, including one devoted to music and science fiction. The 2000 Hanover Expo site has become a world-famous exhibition center.
Wu said a first-class exhibition city needs about 600,000 square meters of display area. Shanghai now has 400,000 square meters. The Expo buildings that remain can bridge the gap, said Wu.
Ideally, Wu said yesterday, about 100 foreign consulates could be moved to the site in the Pudong New Area over the next 20 years.
It's just one of the ways that existing Expo pavilions or structures can serve different functions once the Expo ends on October 31, Wu said.
"Actually we drafted the post-Expo plan for the site even before thinking of the master plan for the duration of the fair," Wu said.
Nobody, however, seems to have told the consulates. Staff at two consulates told the Shanghai Daily yesterday that they had heard of no such relocation plans.
At present, many foreign consulates are located around Huaihai Road and Hengshan Road, typically occupying buildings of historic interest.
The Expo village now provides apartments and offices for officials from participating countries and organizations. Besides housing foreign consulates, Wu said it could also be a future location for high-end and regular hotels.
Under International Exposition Bureau rules, pavilions are to be torn down immediately after a six-month World Expo expires. But a few buildings may remain.
One of these in Shanghai will be the China Pavilion. Wu said it will become a museum focusing Chinese traditional cultures. The Performance Center, the Expo Center, the Expo Boulevard and the Theme Pavilion also will be kept after the fair ends.
"It sends a strong message that the Expo would make urban life better and sustainable, as large-scale historical buildings will be preserved and others would use energy saving methods," Wu said.
Overall, said Wu, "the site will be a new city center merging culture, ecosystem and international communication together."
The 1958 Brussels Expo in Belgium left the Atomic Tower and a memorial park. The 1962 Seattle Expo delivered the Space Needle and a series of buildings used as museums, including one devoted to music and science fiction. The 2000 Hanover Expo site has become a world-famous exhibition center.
Wu said a first-class exhibition city needs about 600,000 square meters of display area. Shanghai now has 400,000 square meters. The Expo buildings that remain can bridge the gap, said Wu.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
