Shanghai World Expo Dream Cube: Transformative Experience

For the 2010 World Expo, the Shanghai Corporate community asked ESI Design to create an extraordinary experience that would excite the public about Shanghai’s future. ESI Design partnered with a team of world-renowned architects and producers to design and build the highly imaginative ecologically sustainable ‘Dream Cube .’ Of the 180 pavilions at the 2010 World Expo, it was among the most popular.

Building on the Expo theme, ‘Better City, Better Life,’ the Dream Cube led visitors on a dynamic, dreamlike journey through the city’s past, present and future. More than 80,000 photos, crowd-sourced from Shanghai citizens via the Dream Cube’s website (also designed by ESI), captured the city’s transformation.

The experience culminated in a 360-degree theater where visitors participated in changing the exterior of the Dream Cube itself. The building’s intricate LED structure pulsed with color and dynamic patterns in response to visitors’ movements, creating a dazzling light show for people outside the pavilion. The experience stirred visitors’ optimism — by working together they could shape their city’s future.

With over 4 million visitors, worldwide attention and numerous awards, the Dream Cube set a new standard for Expo designs and large-scale public experiences.