Dutch Pavilion

Happy Street
The Netherlands pavilion on the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai 

From 1 May till 31 October, the World Expo 2010 takes place in Shanghai. The World Expo, in existence since 1851, is one of the most important events in the world, in terms of economic and cultural impact. This year a total of 192 countries and 50 international organisations will participate, and it is expected that the World Expo will draw some 70 million visitors from the general public, as well as the business community.

By taking part in the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the Netherlands is presented with a unique opportunity to increase the awareness of Dutch cultural, business and technology successes and innovations amongst the Chinese business community and its people. Thus, the World Expo 2010 strengthens the basis for economic cooperation between the Dutch and Chinese business communities, and also promotes tourism from China.

Better City, Better Life
The theme at the World Expo 2010 is 'Better City, Better Life'. The theme is inspired by the prediction that 55 percent of the world's population will live in cities in 2010. With 'Better City, Better Life,' the World Expo organization challenges participants to come up with ideas for liveable cities in the 21^st century.
As a strongly urbanized and densely populated country, the Netherlands has a lot to offer in this area. In order to give visitors to the World Expo an image of Dutch successes and innovations in this area that is as broad and varied as possible, the Dutch government has not opted for a classic pavilion, but for a complete street, named "Happy Street",  designed by architect John Körmeling.

Happy Street
In Happy Street, Körmeling has developed his vision of an ideal city that has developed along a trade route; an area where all aspects of life flourish together. This as a reaction to modern town planning, where residential, commercial and industrial activities often take place in well-defined zones. With his design, Körmeling wants to make it clear that the Netherlands is on the cutting edge of better, more sustainable, and more human urban development.

According to Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Ms. Maria van der Hoeven, Happy Street reinforces the strong position of the Netherlands in China. "With this pavilion, the Netherlands is promoting our country's creativity, sustainability and innovation, precisely those areas where the Netherlands is a pioneer. The visitor who leaves the Dutch pavilion should have the feeling that if all initiatives he has seen and experienced are implemented, life in the city will become a lot more pleasant."

On the topic of Happy Street, the Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Zhang Jun, said  "The Dutch pavilion is one of the eye-catchers at the World Expo in Shanghai, and will contribute to the strengthening of economic, cultural, commercial and diplomatic ties between China and the Netherlands."

Playful and open design
Happy Street is a complete street in the shape of an eight, a lucky number to the Chinese, and stands out in particular because of its striking, playful, and very open design, that connects closely to the  Netherlands' identity. The intimacy of the pavilion, constructed as a small city with a view on the metropolis of Shanghai, reflects the Netherlands' unique vision on  integrating the human aspect in urban development projects.

The Netherlands is primarily targeting  the expected 70 million general public and business visitors to the World Expo, and hopes to welcome at least 5 to 10 percent of those on Happy Street.

Life-size diorama
There are twenty eight houses and various other objects on Happy Street that show visitors what the Netherlands has to offer in the areas of technological innovation, urban development & architecture, sustainability & environment, corporate social responsibility, as well as culture & creativity. The houses are built in various architectural styles, together representing the Dutch architectural tradition. There are designs by Gerrit Rietveld, but also reproductions of typical houses from Zaandam and The Hague, and featuring a replica of the narrowest house in Amsterdam.

Each house is like a life-size diorama, allowing visitors to discover new dimensions of the Netherlands. Some of the most eye-catching houses and objects include:

• Green Interior: This house is dedicated to the world famous Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, and shows an interior filled with some of his famous pieces of furniture, made from recycled materials.
• Home Farming: here Philips showcases a small home farm to grow part of a family's daily nourishment indoors, away from all possibly harmful outside influences. The home farm produces biological lettuce, cucumbers, herbs and fish by using water, organic waste and sunlight.
• Herschel Telescope: in May 2009 this house, showing a copy of the Herschel satellite, was chosen by the Chinese as one of the most special houses on Happy Street. The Dutch space instrument HIFI is located aboard the real satellite. In all respects, HIFI is the most extensive space travel project the Netherlands is involved in.
• Purification Plant: here, a Norit water treatment installation purifies drinking water, which is then served in a playful manner from Tokheim fuel pumps.
• Machine for Smallest Lithography: the smallest chip in the world is on display in this house, made with a machine produced by the Dutch company ASML, the world's leading provider of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry.
• Smart Textiles: this house shows a fire fighter outfit that is designed by the engineers of Dutch textile multinational TenCate, and that warns fire fighters with an alarm when the temperature in their direct surroundings is increasing beyond survivable levels.

VIP Lounge
Happy Street offers Dutch and foreign, public and private, organizations, various opportunities to participate as a partner or a sponsor. Furthermore, Happy Street has a striking VIP Lounge, which can be rented by organizations to receive relations and guests, to host dinners and to organise meetings and seminars.

By offering this VIP Lounge,  Happy Street offers Dutch organisations an opportunity to bring their products and services to the attention of multimillion public and their business relations, as well as to build up or strengthen their activities in the Chinese market, in a remarkable and attractive setting.

Rotterdam Water City Pavilion and the Dutch Culture Centre
In addition to Happy Street, the Dutch contribution to the World Expo in Shanghai also includes the Rotterdam Water City Pavilion, designed by the Willem de Kooning Academy and the Rotterdam Polytechnic, that shows how the port city is, and remains, protected from excess water levels despite the changing climate. Furthermore it includes the Dutch Culture Centre, a cultural centre for Dutch and Chinese art in the Jing'An district of Shanghai.