SHANGHAI: China unveiled Tuesday the design for its national pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

With an estimated cost of 1.5 billion yuan, its design features a traditional style red architecture called "oriental crown". Organizers said the project is a significant milestone in the countdown to the 2010 event, signaling the beginning of full-scale construction of the Expo's core projects.

A computer-generated image shows the design for the China pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. [chinadaily.com.cn]

Since a global search for designs was launched in April, organizers collected 344 submissions in a few months, which were later short-listed to three winning entries. The oriental crown scheme was approved in September.

"The construction scheme for the China Pavilion contains rich elements of Chinese culture and could well display Chinese wisdom," vice-mayor Yang Xiong said during the ceremony. "It also has international features, modernity and could serve as a symbol. It helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo."

Located at the crossing of two horizontal and vertical axes in the Pudong part of Expo garden, the?China Pavilion comprises of three parts. The first is the national hall, which is 20,000-sq-m,? 30,000-sq-m for provinces and regions, and 3,000-sq-m shared between Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

The oriental crown, standing 63 meters in height, uses traditional dougong brackets and features wooden brackets fixed layer upon layer between the top of a column and a crossbeam.

As a permanent landmark in the inner part of Pudong New Area, the structure will adopt ecological sound technologies and energy-saving measures. These include the sun-shading design, exterior of the domestic pavilion is a buffer zone for heat or cold, as well as ecological landscaping on the roof could lower energy demands effectively.

During the Expo, the main structure will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of "Chinese wisdom in urban development" by explaining the values of harmony, nature and spirit. The domestic hall will provide provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and other areas a platform to display their urban achievements, designers said.

But officials suggested that there might be some complexities of having Taiwan participate in the event.

"Negotiations with the Taiwan side has lagged behind our talks with other provinces or regions, including Hong Kong and Macao," said Dai Liu, China World Expo (Group) Co Ltd Managing Director. China will have a back-up plan if they fail to persuade the island, he added.

"If we can include Taiwan in the Shanghai Expo, the world will see the status of Chinese people is escalating in the global arena," he said.

Organizers are still searching for exhibition ideas for the pavilion, whose construction will be completed in two years.