Ralph Applebaum Associates

The corporate pavilion of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, a major state-owned company and one of largest ship makers in China, was developed for Shanghai Expo 2010.

RAA’s task was to reveal how maritime commerce affects modern cities, as showcased through the story of the nation’s 150-year-old Jiangnan Shipyard. The site was used to reveal the relationship between humans, nature, and ships.

Across almost 50,000 square feet, this pavilion was one of the Expo’s largest. The visitor takes a virtual voyage on a ship called Sailing City. Multimedia displays immerse visitors in China’s shipbuilding achievements and introduce them to societal improvements brought about by maritime enterprise.

The journey ramps upward through areas named City Experience, Energy Park, Eco Lab, Food Production, and Transport, each an aspect of city life ameliorated by China’s shipbuilding industry. The exhibition conveys the robust nature of shipbuilding and romantic maritime fantasies by combining physical elements—architectural space and model ships representing the past and present—with virtual ones—multi-media installations representing the future.

In a VIP lounge, guests can try out a sailing simulator. The lounge also functions as a private viewing balcony for both the final eight-minute panoramic film and the entire Shanghai Expo site through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The pavilion, which received more than six-and-half-million visitors (an average of 35,000 visitors a day), became one of the Expo’s most successful attractions. It was also one of the few to have become a permanent museum, and the Expo’s most visited corporate pavilion.