Seed Cathedral At The 2010 Shanghai Expo

Thomas Heatherwick made this UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Dubbed the “Seed Cathedral”, the six-story high structure is studded with 60,000 translucent rods that act as fiber-optic filaments that channel sunlight into the pavilion’s interior.

Inside the UK Pavilion, the Kew Millennium Seed Bank’s role in seed conservation is highlighted – the Kew Millennium Seed Bank is home to the largest collection of wild plant seeds in the world. After the 2010 Shanghai Expo is finished, the wild seeds in the encased glass rods will be given to China.

Of the extraordinary design and engineering production that is the UK Pavilion Thomas Heatherwick says, “It has been a tremendous achievement of the team to deliver such a complex structure. I am excited that the Seed Cathedral is now complete and I look forward to the millions of visitors to the Expo enjoying the space.”

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