MIKE PATTISON:
Planning started after the conclusion of the expo in Japan. So we began talking about the Shanghai Expo in February 2006.
We actually ran a two-stage tendering process, tendering the opportunity to be - to do the design and build of the New Zealand Pavillion. So we got maybe 20 applications, really expressions of interest, and then we cut them down, with an inter-departmental group, to five consortia, each of which were asked to put forward their idea for the pavilion. And the winning consortium, which was led by Coffey Projects, Warren and Mahoney, Story Inc.
Probably the concept for the pavilion started with Story Inc. We were thinking about some of the lessons they'd learnt in Japan. Some of the things which worked in the New Zealand Pavillion, and how those might be incorporated at an expo in Shanghai.
The seminal idea, perhaps, came from Warren and Mahoney and Blair Johnson the architect, who came up with the idea of a wedge - a wedge-shaped building. And then fairly closely following onto that was the concept of the canopy. And the canopy, of course, has a very practical purpose. Protection against heavy rain in June and fierce heat in July and August. So it's something we had to have. But once you had the wedge and the canopy, then there was a bit of a natural flow-on to the idea of the separation between the earth and the sky.
The challenge is putting together a quite complex building. It's smaller than some of the ones on site, but it is quite challenging. And putting in ideas developed by New Zealanders who are technologically savvy and know exactly what they want. But for implementation, we had to rely on the local design institute in Shanghai. The main contractor is a large Shanghainese company.
And I think it's probably fair to say that our construction industry in New Zealand is quite technologically advanced. Here they build some wonderful and enormous buildings. But there is a large pool of relatively unskilled labour. And so we had - once we'd got the main structure in place, we've had to integrate the work of the Chinese contractors with the incoming New Zealand construction, technical and landscaping teams. And there's been a challenge on both sides for those teams to work together.
Ours is smaller, less expensive and a slightly different approach. Probably we aim to make more of an emotional connection with visitors to the pavilion, rather than simply putting an experience in front of them. And it shows itself in small ways. Most pavilions; massive screens, enormous technology, but we invite people as they go in to touch the greenstone, or to take a bit of time as they walk down through the garden. We try and discourage them from touching the pohutukawa because they're pulling the leaves off it while they try and work out whether it's real.
