First meeting in Shanghai for the World Expo 2010

The International Polar Foundation was invited to be part of the Belgian pavilion to showcase Belgium’s involvement in sciences related to better understanding our climate. Working with Atelier Brückner (Stuttgart), the IPF has devised an LED-lit giant ice cube to draw visitors into the world of Polar Regions, polar science and climate change, with the Princess Elisabeth Station as the main feature.

Passive buildings and energy efficiency are at the heart of the Princess Elisabeth Station and central to the World Expo 2010 main theme: “Better City, Better Life”. Belgium’s involvement in polar science and better climate knowledge is a gateway to the broader context of current Climate Change.

This Ice Cube is divided in two spaces, separated by a “crevasse” through which visitors can walk. Movies and sounds recreating the atmosphere of Polar Regions will be displayed on one wall of this crevasse, while the other wall will be made of real ice slowly melting.

Windows open on the sides of this Ice Block will reveal both spaces inside.

First Space

  • Princess Elisabeth Station: situation model
  • Climate Change: where are we at?
  • Aiming for Zero Emission: changes are mandatory and technologies are available

Second Space

  • Climate Change and its impact on you (the visitor)
  • Bridging the Science-Society divide
  • Existing solutions

More news, along with a fully detailed project sheet will be published shortly, but we wanted to share this project with you as soon as we could.