Czech pavilion at the Expo is starting to address technical issues

Prague/Shanghai - Due to unexpectedly high interest in the Czech pavilion at the Expo 2010 exhibition, the chief commissioner of the exhibition, Pavel Stehlík, is concerned about whether the pavilion will withstand the influx of visitors for the next three months until the end of the exhibition. The World Expo in Shanghai will move into its second half on August 1. The Czechs had estimated that the pavilion could accommodate about three million people over the course of six months. However, that number was already reached in the first three months alone. The exhibits are thus awaiting repairs and refurbishment to last until the end of the exhibition in October.
    "I am very concerned about what the exhibition can endure, as many exhibits are interactive. We planned for them to withstand the interaction of three million visitors until the end of October. But now it is already three million," Stehlík said from Shanghai in a phone interview for ČTK. "We will have to innovate, refurbish," he added, considering the overall newly projected attendance of around seven million people.
    Technical difficulties have also begun to trouble the pavilion’s facilities, Stehlík noted. The ventilation and air conditioning are quickly clogged with grease present in the hot and humid air of Shanghai. In this part of China, temperatures will continue to soar to nearly 39 degrees Celsius for another two months. "This is a big challenge for both us and the visitors," Stehlík stated.
    The Czech exhibition is among the most visited at the world exhibition in China, competing with more than two hundred exhibitors. Among its main attractions are reliefs from the statue of Saint John of Nepomuk, which were brought as a symbol of luck from Prague's Charles Bridge. Other exhibits that attract the Chinese include a kaleidoscope representing Czech wonders, a model airplane showcasing the beauties of the Czech Republic, and a giant golden tear that is part of an installation creating perfumes based on the visitor's emotions. Additionally, there is a frequently changing cultural program accompanying the exhibition, which frames the Czech presentation.
    Chinese media are paying attention to the Czech pavilion and its Fruits of Civilization. According to Stehlík, the media space in the Czech Republic would cost an estimated 65 million crowns if the state were to pay for it for advertising. This is good for the country's marketing, he noted.
    The pavilion might continue to promote the country even after the world exhibition concludes, as the Chinese city of Huzhou has expressed serious interest in it. The city's leadership, which has about 2.8 million inhabitants, would like to place the structure in a newly constructed urban zone by the lake. Huzhou intends to cover all costs associated with the relocation, subsequent construction, maintenance, and further operation of the pavilion. Negotiations regarding the sale are still ongoing.
    The shell of the Czech pavilion is white and is adorned with black spots. Compared to other pavilions, the structure may appear more modest from the outside, but it reportedly captivates with its originality inside. The Czech Republic has invested around half a billion crowns in its presentation at the World Expo in Shanghai.