The Hills Are Alive - Austrian Pavillion Expo Shanghai 2010

The Hills Are Alive Austrian Pavillion Expo Shanghai 2010

The Hills Are Alive

‘Mountain climbing was always more than just physical activity or the search for a natural experience – it was and it still is also an examination of the individual with oneself and with one’s social environment. This examination has deep roots within our culture.’ (1)

The Austrian pavilion for the Expo 2010 has been developed with two topics as main focus: Landscape and Music. These two topics substantially shape the cognition of Austria throughout the world. The proposed building develops out of a ‘parcour’ that describes an abstract path from the city up to the top of a mountain. The visitors move through a Walkable Composition, crossing different thematic areas from an urban landscape up to an alpine environment, gaining insights into the multi-layered Austrian culture, into landscape and technology, cities, music and society.

(1) Free translation from: Monika Gärtner und Oskar Wörz in Berge, eine unverständliche Leidenschaft, Editor: Philipp Felsch, Beat Gugger, Gabriele Rath; Folio Verlag Wien/ Bozen, 2007