For the last few years I have had the opportunity to participate in the design of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo. Along with our team of partners, I witnessed the transformation of the Pavilion's site from an empty lot, to a busy construction zone, to the stunning cube of light that it is today. It has been incredibly rewarding to see it completed, and to watch thousands of visitors carrying our design forward as a participatory experience.
I have also had the opportunity to visit more than 20 other pavilions at the Expo. Some are amazing experiences and others are, well, not as engaging. From my perspectives as both a designer and a visiting tourist, the most successful pavilion experiences had many of the same characteristics of design excellence. Here are my top ten:
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