Results of the competition for the pavilion design for EXPO 2010 in Shanghai

Prague - A visitor to the Czech pavilion at the World Expo EXPO in Shanghai will find themselves in a fictional city, "where they can feel comfortable and where nothing threatens them. In a city where creativity, magic, production, travel, observation, and listening take place, and where everyone passing through can actively participate."
    This concept appealed to the implementation team led by Ing. arch. Jaromír Švarc to the selection committee of the public tender for the Design of the collective work of the pavilion and exhibition of the Czech Republic at the Universal World Exhibition EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. "The pavilion and exhibition have excellent artistic value and a beautiful content. There is no doubt that it is the pavilion of the Czech Republic; visitors will recognize it both from the appearance of the pavilion's exterior and in the exhibition,” justified the verdict of the chief commissioner Ing. Pavel A. Stehlík.
    The main motto of the World Expo 2010 "Better City - Better Life" and the theme of national participation "Fruits of Civilization" inspired the creators of the winning proposal to create an imaginary urbanized landscape. The design of the pavilion and exhibition is based on urban city structures, which are succinctly and exaggeratedly embodied in the facades, in front of the pavilion, and within the exhibition.
    The selection process for the Design of the collective work of the pavilion and exhibition of the Czech Republic, including its realization and operation at the Universal World Exhibition in Shanghai, was announced by the Office of the Chief Commissioner on July 22, 2008. Nine companies submitted 12 proposals. The selection committee, which reserved more than a month for evaluating the submitted projects, consisted of leading experts from many areas: architects, representatives of state administration, and heads of significant cultural institutions. The final assessment took place on December 3, 2008. Sixteen of the 19 committee members evaluated it. They unanimously agreed on the winner.
    The project Urbanized Landscape by FILM DEKOR received 93.29 points out of a possible 100 and nearly an 18-point lead over the next proposal. All 16 evaluators ranked this proposal first."The open space of the exhibition is the best in terms of accessibility - nothing obstructs the floor, and visitors can move freely and relax,” noted committee member and director of the Moravian Gallery, Marek Pokorný. Architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš appreciated that the proposal "uses contemporary design, not replicas, and allows for a moment of surprise."
    The selection committee assessed the quality of the design (70% weight in evaluation) and the offered price (30% weight). These criteria were further subdivided into five sub-criteria:

• representation of the exterior appearance and entrance space,
• innovation and originality of the exhibition and interior spaces,
• embodiment of the theme of Czech participation and the main theme of EXPO,
• representation of the relation of the proposed solution to the Czech Republic,
• functionality and risk-free),

with the project of Film Dekor being the highest-rated project in all except the first sub-criterion.
Just as at EXPO 2005 in Aichi, the Czech representatives are not designing their own building for EXPO 2010 in Shanghai but will utilize a unified module, which they will imprint with their own distinctive face. The Czech booth is among the first of the modules that already stands at the exhibition site in Shanghai. It is tangible proof that we have completely eliminated any delays in preparation. The chief commissioner will take it over from the Chinese organizers in May.
    On the eve of the meeting of the chief commissioners of all participating countries, which took place in November in Shanghai, Ing. Pavel A. Stehlík took over the leadership of the working group of European countries, which, like the Czech Republic, rents their pavilion from the organizers. "I am proud of the trust of my colleagues from 29 European countries, who entrusted me with the task of coordinating our activities at EXPO. Germany coordinates the proceedings of 17 states that are building their own pavilions and has set the bar high. This implies our requirement to be a place where experiences, questions, and common themes of 29 European countries gather, and our duty to be at the forefront of addressing them and helping everyone. Thus, we are a representative to the organizers of a large group of countries, which gives us respect reinforced by the fact that we have caught up on a year’s delay in preparation and are now among the TOP 20," stated the chief commissioner.

Composition of the selection committee:
Ing. Helena Bambasová, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
PhDr. Ondřej Černý, Director of the National Theatre in Prague
Ing. Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
Ing. Václav Kasík, General Director of Czech Radio
Ing. arch. Zdeněk Lukeš, Art Historian
Marek Pokorný, Director of the Moravian Gallery in Brno
Akad. arch. Ing. Miroslav Řepa, Architect
Ing. Jaromír Talíř, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
Mgr. Adolf Toman, Advisor
Doc. Ing. Jiří Volf, CSc., Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic
Mgr. Martin Štěpánek, Advisor to the Prime Minister
Ing. Pavel Antonín Stehlík, MBA, Chief Commissioner of the Czech Republic's participation at EXPO
Mgr. Miloslava Kumbárová, Executive Director of KGK EXPO
MgA. Petr Prokop, Pavilion and Exhibition Manager of KGK EXPO
Martina Hončíková, Manager of Accompanying Programs of KGK EXPO
Ing. arch. Zdeněk Jiran, Architect nominated by ČKA
Ing. arch. Viktor Rudiš, Architect nominated by ČKA
Ing. arch. David Vávra, Architect nominated by ČKA
Ing. arch. Jan Štempel, Architect nominated by ČKA