Little Mermaid to court world's affection at Shanghai Expo

Worlds in orbit

During her sojourn in Shanghai, she will be temporarily replaced by sculptures created by Chinese artists.

Called Welfairytales, a blend of the words "welfare" and "fairy tales," the Denmark Pavilion at the 2010 Expo is looking to give visitors a genuine experience of how it feels to live in a Danish city.

Visitors will be able to jump on a bike, meet the Danes and become better acquainted with their lives and dreams. Meanwhile, children can relax at the playground and enjoy an organic picnic while dipping their feet in the pool beside the Little Mermaid.

"What we were really trying to do was to develop a concept that, on one hand, would be an interesting piece of architecture, but at the same time would communicate the Danish way of life to the Chinese people in a very subtle way," the 39-year-old designer said.

Welfairytales is an invitation to take part in a new fairy tale where human beings live in cities that cater to a healthier and more environmentally aware lifestyle, the architect said.

He said months of research had preceded the final design, including much analysis of the Sino-Danish relationship.

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One of Peterson's major inspirations was the size and scope of the Nanpu Bridge Interchange.

"I asked myself: What would this structure look like if it was going to be built in Denmark, and would it be possible to make it less detached from the surrounding cityscape? First of all, it would be much smaller. And because a big part of the traffic in Copenhagen is bicycle traffic - like in Shanghai 20 years ago - it would probably be inhabited by bikes."

Like a Danish city, the pavilion is to be best experienced on foot and by bike. It consists of two so-called orbits - one outdoor and one indoor - united in one coherent whole. The outdoor orbit comprises a Danish bicycle path and a roof park with a playground and a picnic area. The indoor orbit connects to the expo area's ground floor and houses the exhibition, conference room and workplaces.

The loops are connected in two places. Coming from the inside, visitors can move up onto the roof, pick up a bike and re-visit the exhibition on two wheels as the outdoor cycle path transforms into an indoor one that runs through part of the exhibition.

In this manner,, the exhibition can be experienced in two speeds; as a calm stroll with time to absorb the surroundings and as a dynamic bicycle trip, where the city and city life rush past. Welfairytales is hoping to re-launch the bicycle in Shanghai as a symbol of healthy living and sustainable urban development. When the expo closes, the pavilion may be moved to another site in China.