Expo Zaragoza 2008
Bridge pavilion - Zaha Hadid
In August I went to the International Exhibition in Zaragoza, Spain. When I first heard about the Expo Zaragoza2008 I was really confused: Was it a universal exhibition like the one in Hanover in 2000 and the great Expositions Universelles of Paris held in the 18th and 19th Century? Or was it a purely economical and slightly dodgy operation like the 2004 Barcelona Forum of cultures? In order to check what exactly was Expo Zaragoza2008, I went to check with my friend Wiki.
I finally understood: Expo is actually the short name use to designate the world’s Fairs. The world’s Fairs are sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions or International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) an organism situated in Paris. The very first World Fair was held in 1851 in London. It is for this occasion that was built the famous Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton.
According to the BIE there is two different types of Expo: The International Expositions (that are smaller and last only 3 months) and the Universal Expositions (the bigger one that last 6 months). In the 19th century, International and Universal exhibitions were more about industrial discoveries and advancements. Later on, exhibitions became thematic and serve more the promotion of countries national identity.
The 2008 Expo has a major theme: the water. I personally reckon that this theme is far to general and, at the same time, already over analysed those days. With all the attention we now put on question of sustainability, there seem to be nothing new, original or even really informative in this exhibition. In general, the content of the pavilions was really disappointing. Especially for pavilion like the one of Spain where one had to queue for two hours!!!
On the other hand, I really liked the architecture of some pavilion. I particularly appreciated the bridge pavilion by Zaha Hadid, the water tour and the Spanish and Aragon pavilion. The good news is that all these pavilions will stay after the expo. For example, the Aragon pavilion will be the new down town location for the school of architecture of Zaragoza while the bridge pavilion will be a privately run exhibition space.
Although it was the first time I ever visited an Expo, I do believe that the Zaragoza expo doesn’t have the ‘grandeur’ of Paris, London, or even Barcelona 19th and 20th century Expo. It is, nevertheless, I great opportunity for a medium size city like Zaragoza to be put ‘on the map’!
Spanish Pavilion
Tower of water - exterior
Tower of water - inside
More pictures to come
See also: http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/
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