1st Prize Winner – Architecture Competition

Client: Colombia Section of Expo

Design: Alejandro Puentes and Esteban Castro | Production: Ralph Miller Productions | Lighting: Lightswitch California | Sound: Audisse | Structural design: Hebei Engineering Company | Scenography: Robert Hu, Julei Design | Construction: Exhibitworks International-EWI, Huabei Construction Company, Studio-san Architectural

The challenge of the Colombian pavilion for Expo Shanghai 2010 was to design a signature building that represented Colombia. We divided the building into three symbolic elements: a basement of light, a textile-body and an illuminated tower.
In the windows of the basement, light-up serigraphs by Colombian artists: artworks that spoke of our cultural present.
The body of the building was decorated with textures that mimic those our prehistoric designers used to decorate their garments. Tumacos, Quimbayas, Tayronas, and many others, used stone rolls and seals to dye textiles. As an abstraction of the garments that were worn by of the ancient inhabitants of our territory: a tribute to the great cultural wealth of our country. Finally, the illuminated tower serves as a flag that can be seen in the distance and guide visitors to Colombia. The tower is decorated with flying “Guacamayas” that represent the three colors of our flag, and the richness of our biodiversity.