With only 16 days until opening day, the city of Xi’an, China is preparing for one of the largest international horticultural events of the year. Unified under the exhibition’s theme of “Eternal Peace and Harmony between Nature and Mankind,” the 418 hectares of well crafted landscape and landmark architecture are rooted in cultural symbolism and designed to illustrate the city’s promising future. Twelve million guests are expected to visit Xi’an and experience the exposition’s new perspective about the harmonious coexistence between human and nature, city and nature.
More about the architecture of the exposition after the break.
We have previously shared Plasma Studio’s amazing master plan for the exhibition – Flowing Gardens – which features the redevelopment of a large area of land that acts as a ‘synthesis of horticulture and technology where landscape and architecture converge at a sustainable and integral vision’. For the main themepPavilion, a dynamic geometric form that boasts irregular interfaces, the structure will showcase new achievements and products in horticulture and floriculture as well as new environmentally-friendly and energy-saving technologies and materials.
Located at the Splendid Lake, the main botanic Greenhouse will mainly display rare plants and eco-landscapes from different regions of various climates in the world. The Greenhouse is situated at the intersection of many landscapes and offers a way to unite the varied exhibit into a cohesive whole. Built against mountains, the structure folds to perfectly match the topography.
In addition to the Pavilion and the Greenhouse, the exhibition will include a 13 story-tall observation tower. The Chang’an Tower rests upon the Young Zhongnan Mountain, providing those who climb to the top a panoramic view of the whole site. The design of the tower blends the traditional square pagodas of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) with a contemporary vision. The tower’s light weight steel-frame construction is recyclable and environmentally friendly, while the safety glass on the roof creates the effect of a crystal rising in the mountains. The tower embodies the coexistence between nature and people from Chang’an in history, and this relationship is further embodied in a contemporary way.
Visitors will enter through the Guangyun Entrance which is located at the north-east part of the exposition site. The avenue can hold as many as 20,000 passengers during peak hours as 18-meter wide ramps bring visitors along the expo’s Flower Valley. The ramp is made up of water features and square flowers gardens, offering a dramatic first impression to visitors.
Working under Plasma Studio’s conceptual vision, the exposition will delight with great advancements in horticulture, while allowing visitors to circulate within a woven network of landscape and architecture.
