Expo 2020 – Swiss Pavilion

The pavilion, with the theme ‘Reflections,’ which was designed by the Swiss office OOS AG in collaboration with Bellprat Partner AG for scenography, and Lorenz Eugster Landscaping GmbH, invites the visitors to experience facets of Swiss culture, from the spectacular landscapes to innovations, technologies, and scientific achievements. The pavilion has a 35m x 35m footprint with a height of 21m. Reflectiveness is the key element of the experience. The funnel-shaped mirror-front façade draws the visitors inside the pavilion to discover Switzerland with a red carpet that shows the flag. While visitors are queuing to enter, they create an interactive surface with their reflection that disappears as they enter the space. When inside, the visitors will experience the soundscape of the Swiss mountains and observe a digital exhibition of the country’s nature.

Grankraft fabricated and installed the chromed aluminium composite panels for the full façade with an overall area of 1085m². The panels were cut to size using a router machine in order to ensure there was no flatness variation on them. The chrome finish was achieved by first machine polishing and then finished by hand by our expert operators.

In order to successfully achieve the architect’s concept of reflective facets, it was of utmost importance that the building envelope – especially on the three facets facing the entrance – read as large surfaces and not as individual panels.

The individual panels are fabricated to a minimum tolerance to achieve the desired flatness.