Uniform/BDP to build Liverpool Pavilion at World Expo 2010
A consortium led by design and creative agency Uniform has been awarded the contract to design and build the Liverpool Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
The Liverpool-based firm, located in Fleet Street, led a consortium including international exhibition and event specialists SYMA and architects BDP.
SYMA is an official recommended supplier to the World Expo and has had a base in Shanghai since 1994. The company has handled major projects for previous World Expos, as well as for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, and is the appointed contractor for several national pavilions at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.
BDP was responsible for Grosvenor's Liverpool One masterplan, which has been shortlisted for this year's Stirling Prize in October.
Around 70 million people are expected to visit the expo between 1 May and 31 October 2010. The team gets access to the site to begin work in November this year.
Themes being addressed by Liverpool's Pavilion during the expo includes:
- Urban regeneration, energy, sustainability and the environment
- Advanced technology and science
- Culture, health and sport
- The Knowledge Sector
- Professional services
- Liverpool: the gateway to the North West, ports, airports and property development
Liverpool is the only UK city except London to have a dedicated Pavilion at the event. The city's presence is being led by Liverpool Vision in partnership with Liverpool City Council, the Liverpool-Shanghai Partnership and the North West Development Agency.
Nick Howe, managing director of Uniform, said: "Our consortium offers the right blend of skills and experience, international exhibition expertise, architectural and engineering know-how and, of course, the instinctive local cultural knowledge which Uniform brings to the job."
Ricardo Andrade, business development director at SYMA Asia, said: "Liverpool will bring to Shanghai some of the world's most well-known and adored icons in music and sports, along with a rock-solid plan to strengthen business ties between the North West of the UK and China. This will be a runaway hit with the Chinese and we're very happy to be part of this success story. As official recommended supplier for the Shanghai World Expo we will bring the design to life and ensure everything runs smoothly on the ground."
Phil Southward, Liverpool's World Expo 2010 operations director, added: "The consortium's proposal knocked our socks off. It is imaginative, compelling and exciting – much like Liverpool itself. It also offers flexible functionality and employs the very best in innovative technology to tell the story of Liverpool."
Last June, Peel Holdings confirmed it will sponsor the Liverpool Pavilion at the World Expo 2010.
