Norway has never failed to attract tourists with its spectacular and charming landscape of forests, fjords, mountains and coastline. And for World Expo 2010, Norwegians promise visitors to its national pavilion a full experience of all these.

The pavilion of the Scandinavian country will be constructed around 15 model trees made of wood and bamboo. The trees will be arranged in such a way as to present a clear interpretation of Norway's varied landscapes.

All the model trees will be covered by a semi-transparent roof and when the sun shines through the roof, it will create the effect of shade or blue skies.

The roof will also be able to collect solar energy to make the entire pavilion self-sufficient.

It will house the Fjord Restaurant which will serves Norwegian food and a business center for conferences and forums, creating special experiences of eating near a fjord or having a meeting in a forest.

Visitors will enjoy a "powerful sensory experience," said Arild Blixrud, Norway's acting commissioner general for the Expo.

Designers got the idea for the pavilion when walking through a forest in Norway, said Siv Helen Stangeland, one of the chief designers.

"Through this innovative design, Norway wanted to present its concepts in resource and energy conservation with the theme 'Norway Powered by Nature'," said Oyvind Slaake, Norway's vice minister of trade and industry.

Most Norwegian cities are close to the sea, forests or mountains, and Norway will show the world "how we invite nature into the city and use nature to improve the quality of life," said Philip Lote, communications director of Norway's Expo delegation.

The US$22.8 million Norway Pavilion will not be constructed from scratch, but assembled using prefabricated laminated wood building kits and bamboo which will be shipped from Norway.

But the stability of the pavilion will not be a concern as Blixrud says it will be able to withstand even the most powerful typhoon.

Wood is widely used as a construction material in Norway while bamboo is the traditional construction material in China. The pavilion will also aim to present a combination of Norwegian and Chinese cultures, said the commissioner general.

Another highlight will be the Norwegian government's post- Expo plan for the "trees pavilion." "The government hopes to leave the 15 trees in China after Expo as a symbol of friendly relations between the two countries," Blixrud said.

They could be split into single trees and moved to different areas of China and used as restaurants or conference halls or located in local parks for people to enjoy.

(Shanghai Daily March 11, 2009)