The World Exposition 2010 in Shanghai, China (Shanghai Expo) is being held at the waterfront area on both sides of Huangpu River in Shanghai from 1 May to 31 October, 2010, under the main theme, “Better City, Better Life”.
Shanghai Expo will provide a platform for participating countries, regions and organisations to share their experiences of urban development, discuss advanced ideas on cities, and explore new approaches to eco-friendly lifestyles and working conditions as well as sustainable development. With the approval of the Legislative Council, the HKSAR Government has committed HK$346 million in funding for Hong Kong’s Expo presence. This includes HK$145 million for the design and construction of the Hong Kong Pavilion and $201 million for operation and activities which including the UBPA Exhibition.
Hong Kong Pavilion
Using “Hong Kong – Potential Unlimited” as its theme, the sleek and contemporary looking Hong Kong Pavilion – “The Pavilion of Infinity” – is located at the southwest forecourt of the China Pavilion, in Zone A, on the Pudong side of the Shanghai Expo site and is designed to showcase the infinite imagination and creativity of Hong Kong and its people, providing visitors with a stunning impression of Hong Kong as a modern, open, free and transparent society.
The three-storey pavilion, with a total of 800 m2 of exhibition space, represents a city confined by its physical boundaries but opened up to reveal the infinite potential within. The pavilion’s folded metallic skin represents the myriad dense high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, and its multiple layers within a tight urban landscape.
The three exhibition levels highlight different aspects and themes of Hong Kong’s connectivity and creativity, with the ground level using the theme of “Connected to the Global Village” to symbolise Hong Kong’s connectivity to the world and China. 
The mid-level’s theme is “Connected by Ideas, Information and Diversity” – the connectivity of ideas and knowledge coupled with the free flow of money and information, while the top level’s theme is “Connected to Nature”, designed to showcase Hong Kong’s rich natural heritage and the manner in which the dense urban cityscape co-exists sustainably with extensive swathes of greenbelt, wetland and woodland areas that cover almost 70 per cent of Hong Kong’s land mass. At night, dynamic façade lighting will change the look of the pavilion to illustrate the constantly evolving nature of the Hong Kong cityscape.
Design and Features
The design concept originated from two Hong Kong architects – Billy Chan Wai-ching and Ida Sze Ki-shan, who were among 80 members of the local design and building related professions who took part in the concept design competition for the Hong Kong Pavilion, organised by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Architectural Services Department and sponsored by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) in early 2008.
The winners were selected by a seven-member jury chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang.
The concept has been developed and enhanced by the project’s design and build contractor Gammon Construction Ltd in collaboration with their design consultants, which include the design architects Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd, B C Syma Exhibition Contractors Ltd, structural and building service engineers Scott Wilson Ltd and landscape designers ADI Ltd.
The Pavilion boasts a number of sustainable design features, including:
• Folded aluminium cladding, allowing air to flow over the glass surface and helping to cool the building in hot weather.
• Perforated aluminium cladding, which allows natural light into the queuing and main circulation areas, reducing the need for artificial lighting
during the day.
• Water elements, such as the two vertical cascades down the facade,designed to improve the micro-climates within the pavilion.
• Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof to provide a sustainable energy source.
• Vegetation on the roof to provide a living green “insulation blanket” over the pavilion, reducing heat gain inside the building as well as the areas with reflective or heat absorbing surfaces on the roof.
• External pavers around the pavilion at ground level are made of recycled glass and aggregates designed to remove air pollutants and improve air quality. With the incorporation of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), they are capable of removing Nitrous Oxides (NOx), a major air pollutant and greenhouse gas, by at least 10 per cent.
UBPA Exhibition
Hong Kong will take part in the UBPA Exhibition under the theme “Smart Card • Smart City • Smart Life”. The highly interactive exhibition will demonstrate the extensive and innovative use of modern smart card and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of urban city life in Hong Kong.
In addition Hong Kong will organise a series of activities, performing arts programmes and two art exhibitions, both within and outside the Expo site to promote Hong Kong’s brand as well as the city’s innovation and creativity in different fields, with a five-day “Hong Kong Week” to be held from October 18 to 22, 2010, featuring opening and closing ceremonies and a kaleidoscope of complementary activities for visitors, including cultural performances, parades and exhibitions.