Just after the Spring Festival of the year 2007, Mr. Niek Roozen, Chief Designer of Nederland NITA Group and the designer of the Expo Park, made a special trip to Shanghai and visited the worksite of the Expo Park.

The designers of NITA Group participating in the Expo Park Project described the Expo 2010 Shanghai China and the Expo Park in their eyes to us.

Colourful leisure oasis

By Niek Roozen, Chief Designer of NITA Group

The clear concept, the strong design, the expertise within the team and the "Green City" philosophy are what caught the people's eye. The final drawings will are now being completed and on the site the construction of the park has started.

China's first World Expo in Shanghai in 2010 expects 400,000 to 800,000 visitors a day and aims to attract the largest number of visitors in World Expo history. It will be a steaming pressure-cooker full of impressions, architectural creations from around the world.

And when the time comes to escape the heat and take a break, Expo Park along the Huangpu River will be a peaceful oasis in the middle of it all. The park is situated on a piece of land, measuring 200 meters wide and 2 kilometres long, on the site of the former harbour and will be used as a public park after the exhibition.

To achieve a clear separation between the various shapes and forms of the Expo grounds and the park, the ground level on one side will be elevated by 8 meters, thus creating an enormous wall of green, which at one point, just out towards the water forming a natural setting for a grandstand to watch performances. The other side slopes gently down towards the water, overlooking the historic harbour relics. Together with the picturesque views of the river and the old harbour, this will become a magical place to be.

The imposing harbour cranes will be put to new use on the edge of the park, supporting the "Hanging Gardens of Shanghai".

The basic layout of the park's ground plane is inspired by the river, where paths, benches and kiosks flow abstractly with the currents of the Huangpu River. In this way, the river and its influence on its surroundings is emphasized and will make any movement through the area a natural one. In addition, the water that flows through the park will be purified using an ingenious system of wetland plants and pumps.

The tree structure forms a stage-like background perpendicular to the river. This layout provides various views and perspectives between the Expo grounds and the river and strengthens the relationship with the surrounding Expo site on both sides of the river. The dense foliage of the trees within the linear structure provides maximum shade for visitors in the warm Shanghai climate. The tree species were chosen based on their ability to catch fine dust and to absorb gaseous pollutants in the air in order to improve the environmental conditions in and around the city.

The World Expo and especially Expo Park will be a boost in the right direction for the city of Shanghai, not only in an economic sense but also as an inspiration to improve urban living conditions. The motto of this World Expo is: Better City Better Life. Public open and green spaces are important for people to lead healthy lives and to be able to occasionally escape the chaotic circumstances of urban living. Expo Park will provide a beautiful and usable riverfront park for the neighbourhoods expected to grow around it.