UK pavilion at shanghai expo 2010all images © katarina stuebe courtesy UK foreign and commonwealth office

with just under 2 weeks to go until the shanghai world expo 2010 opens, the UK pavilion has been complete and is being used for testing ahead of the event.

designed by thomas heatherwick studio the 20 meter high cube like structure is pierced by 60,000 slim and transparent acrylic rods. the centerpiece of the pavilion is the seed cathedral, where visitors will be able to explore a variety of seeds of different plants featured on the end of each rod.

the UK foreign and commonwealth office have sent in images of the construction process.

construction of the pavilion

the union jack on the pavilion

entrance into pavilion

rods being inserted into the wall

rods

rods with seeds at the end

rods being inserted in the wall

construction of the pavilion