Australian Pavilion - 2010 Shanghai World Expo

Location:	Shanghai
Country:	China
Client:	Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Architect:	Wood Marsh Architecture
Builder:	Bovis Lend Lease
Products Used:	(incomplete)

Virtually the entire exterior of the landmark Australian Pavilion, shaped in homage to iconic Uluru, is seamlessly clad in Facade Solutions Azure™* weathering steel panels.

The panels are specially designed to develop an oxidised layer, also called a patina, which protects them from further corrosion. The Azure™ weathering steel facade will last a building’s lifetime, generally over 50 years, and is effectively maintenance-free.

Facade Solutions certainly put Australia's 'best face' forward to the seven million visitors at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, billed as the world's largest.

The Azure™ cassette-style system allows exceptional precision, down to 0.3mm, between the panels, thus enabling cladding across the building’s radical curvature. It is Australia's first such system to provide cassette style weathering steel panels.

Working with Wood Marsh Architecture and builder Bovis Lend Lease on site in Shanghai, Facade Solutions provided a full design, manufacture and installation package for the Australian Pavilion facade.

Antony Martin of Wood Marsh Architecture said weathering steel is rarely used in projects of such scale, due to the technical complexities involved. "Fortunately, BlueScope Steel has an extensive knowledge of this material and the Azure cassette system enabled perfect alignment between panels, something that is traditionally difficult to achieve," Mr Martin said.

Graeme Woolacott of Bovis Lend Lease said: "We were very impressed with BlueScope's logistical efficiency, flexibility of design and the quality of the Azure weathering product. The project is one of the most important buildings that we have been involved with."

 

 

 

 

^{*Azure™ is a trademark of BlueScope Steel Limited}