Along with UK's Seed Cathedral, the Danish Pavilion by Bjarke Ingels Group is one of the standout pavilions at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Visitors are welcome to ride around on one of the 1,500 bikes available at the entrance, a chance to experience the urban way of Denmark. It is a symbol of modern lifestyle and sustainable urban development. The building is designed as a double spiral with pedestrian and cycle lanes taking you from the ground and through curves up to a level of 40 feet (12 meters) and down again. After a nice little bike ride, visitors can chill out at the playground or picnic area. They can also check out the pool with fresh water from Copenhagen's harbor located at the center of the pavilion. A statue of the Little Mermaid can be seen in the middle of the pool, a symbol of Denmark which has been temporarily moved to China. “It is considerably more resource efficient moving the Little Mermaid to China, than moving 1.3 billion Chinese to Copenhagen,” says Bjarke Ingels.
Bjarke Ingels Group Photography by Iwan Baan, Hanne Hvattun, and Leif Orkelbog-Andresen via contemporist
