Expo 2000 was a
World's FairUniversal Exposition or Expo is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the mid-19th century. They are the third largest event in the world in terms of economic and cultural impact after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games...
held in
HanoverHanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg Hanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
from June 1 to October 31, 2000. It was located on the
Hanover fairgroundThe Hanover fairground is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 496,000 m² of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions and a convention centre with 35 function rooms, it is the largest exhibition ground in the world.-...
(Messegelände Hannover), which is famous for hosting CeBIT. The fair was not a financial success.
The fair's masterplan was designed in a joint venture with Studio d'Arnaboldi / Cavadini, Locarno and AS&P (
Albert SpeerAlbert Speer is a German architect and urban planner. He is son of the architect and Nazi Party official Albert Speer. Albert Speer, Jr.'s grandfather Albert Friedrich Speer was also an architect.-Career:...
und Partner GmbH).
On June 14, 1990 the international world's fair organization B.I.E. awarded Expo 2000 to Hanover, beating out
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
by a 21 to 20 vote.
Expo 2000 was a
World's FairUniversal Exposition or Expo is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the mid-19th century. They are the third largest event in the world in terms of economic and cultural impact after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games...
held in
HanoverHanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg Hanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
from June 1 to October 31, 2000. It was located on the
Hanover fairgroundThe Hanover fairground is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 496,000 m² of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions and a convention centre with 35 function rooms, it is the largest exhibition ground in the world.-...
(Messegelände Hannover), which is famous for hosting CeBIT. The fair was not a financial success.
The fair's masterplan was designed in a joint venture with Studio d'Arnaboldi / Cavadini, Locarno and AS&P (
Albert SpeerAlbert Speer is a German architect and urban planner. He is son of the architect and Nazi Party official Albert Speer. Albert Speer, Jr.'s grandfather Albert Friedrich Speer was also an architect.-Career:...
und Partner GmbH).
Background
On June 14, 1990 the international world's fair organization B.I.E. awarded Expo 2000 to Hanover, beating out
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
by a 21 to 20 vote. In 1992 the architects Studio Arnaboldi/Cavadini of Locarno won an international design competition for the masterplan of the exhibition grounds. On June 12 of that same year a survey conducted by the city council was made public showing only 51.5% of area residents supported hosting the expo.
Construction
On May 5, 1994 a new company was created by the government in Bonn,
Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung und Durchführung der Weltausstellung EXPO 2000 in Hannover (EXPO 2000 Hanover GmbH). Headed by chairman Helmut Werner, the company was responsible for the construction and management of the fair.
In 1995 the supervisory board agreed on the concept for the thematics of the fair. Construction finally began on April 22, 1996.
Unlike previous expos, which focused on present advances in science and technology, EXPO 2000 focused more on developing and presenting solutions for the future.
The Fair
The fair opened to the public on June 1 2000 and ran five months, ending on October 31.
The Expo site was situated on the original 1,000,000 square meters of the
Hanover fairgroundThe Hanover fairground is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 496,000 m² of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions and a convention centre with 35 function rooms, it is the largest exhibition ground in the world.-...
; an additional 600,000 m² was also made available as a newly opened section to the grounds. As a visitor walked in and tickets were taken, looking above to the approximately 4-story-high ceiling, a visitor would have noticed the huge circular pods that held large TVs showing animated people greeting the visitors and providing tourist information in different languages. Some ten large McDonalds restaurants were also built, along with restaurants representing several of the exhibitor countries. Small retail locations were also setup to supply Expo merchandise. The
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reversed its decision to take part at a relatively late stage, and the area set aside for the American pavilion was left undeveloped.
40,000,000 visitors were expected at Expo 2000, but only 25,210,000 people came to see the event. This led to a financial deficit of about $600,000,000. With pre-ordered tickets priced at 69 DM, the fair seemed expensive compared to other days out. Commentator Georg Giersberg wrote in the
Frankfurter Allgemeine that entrance fees for Germany's 53 main theme parks cost on average less than half the price of the Expo (about 30 DM). Other financial shortfalls came from a lack of corporate sponsorship since it cost US$4.8 million to be an official product supplier or US$14.5 million to become a world partner.
Part of the failure of the Expo was a lack of clear perception of what to expect at Expo 2000, not helped by a "cerebral" advertising campaign that had failed to explain what the Expo was for. In a 2000 Time magazine article a Berlin-based marketing firm, Scholz & Friends, stated that "the organizers have failed to convey to the public a clear image of what Expo 2000 is going to be: an entertainment park, a blown-up museum, or a nature reserve." In the same article Ralf Strobach, secretary of
Hanover's Citizens' Initiative for Environment Protection, said that "For a long time, companies were unsure if they would be putting money in an eco-show or a showcase for their latest inventions." Only after the fair was open and clearly not meeting expectations was a new advertising campaign created, aimed at the domestic market with British actor
Peter UstinovSir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE , was a British actor, writer and dramatist.He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, director, stage designer, screenwriter, comedian, humorist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.A noted wit and...
and German television star
Verona FeldbuschVerona Pooth is a German television celebrity, entertainer, commercial icon and businesswoman. She was also Miss Germany and Miss Intercontinental and represented her country at Miss Universe...
and stressing the fun side of the Expo, under the slogan
"Das gibt's nur einmal, es kommt nie wieder" ("This only happens once, it's never coming back").
The German band
KraftwerkKraftwerk is an influential electronic band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies, mainly following a Western classical style of harmony, with a minimalistic and strictly electronic instrumentation.The group's simplified...
created a
vocodedA vocoder is an analysis / synthesis system, mostly used for speech in which the input is passed through a multiband filter, each filter is passed through an envelope follower, the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated, and the decoder applies these control signals to...
speech signature theme
Expo 2000, which was also developed into a single of the same name. Later a remix single "Expo Remix" was released. The band was also paid US$190,000 for a five-second jingle, leading Chancellor
Gerhard Schröder' is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor he was Minister-president...
to state that he "wouldn't have spent so much money".
Themed pavilions
- Chile
- Knowledge,
- Mobility,
- Work
- Energy
- Nutrition
- Environment
- Basic Needs
- Pavilion #5 - "Health Futures / Zukunft Gesundheit"
Nations
In total, 155 nations took part. Some notable ones are outlined below:
- Finland - Titled "Wind Nest", the building was created by architects Sarlotta Narjus and Antti-Matti Siikala. Four-storey twin buildings measuring 50 x 7.5m each were clad in heat-treated thermowood. The two buildings were connected by bridges, allowing visitors to move amongst the three exhibit halls on the first two stories. A 15 m wide birch forest was also created.
- Germany - Designed by architect Wund Gruppe, the 24,000 m² building was the largest nation pavilion at Expo.
- Netherlands located at '3' Europa Boulevard, the Dutch pavilion was one of the most popular buildings, winning international acclaim, and was designed by the firm MVRDV. The theme of the 36 m high building (the fair's tallest structure) was "Holland creates Space". Six Holland eco-system landscapes were stacked to showcase how a country can make the most out of a small space. Guests entered on the ground floor and moved through the exhibit space via grand exterior staircases that wrapped around the building. The top level contained a small lake surrounded with windmills that generated power for the building. The interior spaces were designed by MET Studio. The original plan was to dismantle the building and move it back to Amsterdam, but it was determined that it would be much cheaper to just create a new building from scratch. As of 2006 the building sits empty and is partially looted with windows smashed and garbage everywhere. Photos of the building in its current state; also visit: for more updates on the pavilion.
- Portugal - Designed by architects Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura, the 2,350 m² pavilion was located on the Europa Boulevard. The prefabricated two-story building was covered with around 55 tons of expanded cork agglomerate and with hand-made glazed tiles on the patio and had a double glass fibre canvas membrane roof. Portugal Pavilion Website
- UAE United Arab Emirates - The 3000 m² pavilion, situated on a 6000 meter plot (the largest of the Expo sites), was a recreated desert fort. Designed by the French architect Alain Durand-Heriot the exhibit tried to evoke the feeling of being in the Arab state. The main attraction was a 360º circular cinema. The building was 84 m x 36 m and built out of recyclable materials. The theme of the pavilion was "From the traditional to the modern" and presented the history of the country.
- Japan - The Japanese Pavilion was a gridshell
A gridshell is a structure which derives its strength from its double curvature , but is constructed of a grid or lattice....
structure made out of recycled paper tubes that created a honeycomb-like building. The German authorities refused to allow a paper-only structure, literally held together at the joints by tape, so a secondary supporting structure made of wood was created to obtain the needed legal approval. Designed by architect Shigeru BanShigeru Ban is an accomplished Japanese and international architect, most famous for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard paper tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims...
along with consultants Frei OttoFrei Paul Otto is a German architect and structural engineer.- Life :Otto studied architecture in Berlin before being drafted into the Luftwaffe as a fighter pilot in the last years of World War II...
(the German architect who created the Olympic Stadium (Munich)The Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
and the German pavilion at Expo 67The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or Expo 67 as it was commonly known, was the first First Category exhibition approved by the Bureau of International Exhibition in the Americas. It was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 28 to October 29, 1967...
in Montreal), Buro HappoldBuro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment...
(the British engineering firm which created the Millennium DomeThe Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
) and Stefan Polonyi (a structural engineering professor), the building took 3 weeks to assemble and covered an exhibit area of 72m (long) x 35 m (wide) x 15.5m (high), pavilion lot size: 5.450 m² and building surface area: 3.600 m².
- Latvia - about 300.000 people participated in the "Zime" project created by Armands Strazds
Armands Strazds is a Latvian composer, producer and software developer.He studied composition with Gederts Ramans at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and with Friedhelm Doehl at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, where he also studied computer music with Dirk Reith...
and Modris Tenisons. http://www.zime.lv
- Lithuania - The pavilion was designed by Marina and Audrius Bucas, Gintaras Kuginys, Valdas Ozarinskas and Aida Ceponyte. The building was a futuristic glossy yellow. The main attraction was the film "Flight over Lithuania".
- Venezuela - The pavilion was a tensegrity structure which opened and closed like a flower. It was very lightweight, was constructed with no waste and completely re-usable. The flower petals were positioned according to the weather, to shade, keep dry or allow sun to shine on the pavilion. It was designed by Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment...
and Josep Ignasi de Llorens Duran.
- EU European Union - The pavilion presented the European Union's vision of Europe. The walk-through exhibit was divided into seven zones: 50's, Time Shuttle, Euro, Blue Planet, Bridge, Tunnel, Here and Now. Pavilion Webpage
Other Pavilions
- The ZERI Pavilion - The largest bamboo structure designed by Simon Velez, was built by 41 Colombian wood workers in less than three months. Over 4,500 bamboos (Guadua angustifolia) were joined to become the first building which dances with the rhythm of the earth - and this with a German building permit. Nine months of intensive scientific research and testing first enabled the acquisition of a temporary permit, and after the building was constructed twice (once in Manizales, Colombia and once in Hanover) the final permit was granted the day before the opening of the Expo 2000. This pavilion presented 7 projects from around the world which demonstrated that it is possible to respond to everyone's needs on Earth with what we have. The projects from Colombia, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Sweden and Japan inspired many young people. The pavilion nearly went bankrupt when sales and attendance were so low, but fortunately thanks to a single bamboo in the center of the pavilion, enough money was collected to make it to the end. The ZERI Pavilion had an estimated 6.4 million visitors, but it had no doors and no queues. for information on ZERI today
- BMW World - The exhibit focused on BMW
, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company. Founded in 1916, it is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. It owns and produces the MINI brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.-Company history:...
's efforts to create clean-energy operated vehicles. The BMW 750hL Clean Energy car was on display. There were also exhibits on the possibilities of solar- and water-fueled cars. Daimler Chrysler also operated Lab.01, an interactive laboratory showcasing mobility devices including mini-robots.
- Bertelsmann - "Planet" pavilion
- WWF (World Wildlife Fund) - Pavilion
- Global House - The building housed the One World Cafe and a variety of exhibits, including Indigenous Peoples' Wisdom from the Earth, a display of 26 initiatives by indigenous groups from around the globe. Each initiative was shown in a flight case and featured text, images, and in many cases, contemporary handicraft. The exhibit was the first opportunity for indigenous people to represent themselves at a World's Fair.
Expo 2000 Projects
Legacy
Some of the buildings on the EXPO site were sold after EXPO 2000 ended, but most of the exhibition area is still used for major fairs in Germany, as it has been since 1949. The southeastern area around Expo Plaza has been turned into Hanover's new centre of information technology, design, media and arts.
Most of the national pavilion buildings were demolished following the fair. Some buildings (far more than in any other world expositions) were 'saved', including the Netherlands Pavilion. The structure has now fallen into disrepair.
External links