- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 5,584
- Reaction score
- 11,237
1. The History
Seville has now hosted the Expo twice in its history. The first time was in 1929 when Plaza de Espana was built as the Pabellon de Andalucia. Sixty-three years later the Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo '92) took place in 1992 between April 20th and October 12th, on La Isla de La Cartuja. Subtitled "The Age of Discovery", over 100 countries participated on the 215-hectare site which saw over 41,000 visitors over a five-and-a-half-month period. Organized to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus (1492-1992), the expo was initially to be a jointly held event with Chicago, but the US city dropped out due to financial issues.
The Expo was ground-breaking in many ways. ‘Pavilions’ were at the heart of the Expo and included the ‘Royal Pavilion’ and five thematic pavilions; Navigation, Discovery, Nature, Environment, and the Fifteenth Century. To offset the costs of developing nations a special monumental structure, the 'Plaza de Americas', was constructed, consisting of a large enclosed Plaza-type building, to allow maximum participation from developing states from African. The hot summer temperatures were eased using a microfilter water air conditioning system which was used throughout the site, along the main avenues and streets. Visitors were sprayed with cool mist in various locations, and could make use of the numerous fountains and wading pools to cool off.
After the Expo, many of the Pavilions were dismantled, and today the site is divided between a research and development park called Cartuja 93 and a theme park called Isla Mágica, the 'Magic Island', which also hosts the popular Pavilion of Spain. However, many the buildings are still to find new uses and lie in a state of semi-abandonment or moth-balling.
2. The Explore
Had this list as soon as I’d booked the flights to Seville. It’s a massive site and you could quite easily spend a whole day searching things out. Think I managed to cover the lion’s share of the site but on reflection now, there were some bits I missed. Overall, an interesting and relaxed ‘explore’.
3. The Pictures
The first thing you see it the massive detailed copy of the Ariane rocket:
1.
img4291 by HughieDW, on Flickr
2.
img4310 by HughieDW, on Flickr
3.
img4328 by HughieDW, on Flickr
4.
img4329 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Next to it is the massive “Auditorium”. This was secure, but I did climb a bank and get under the fencing. However once under the fence it was clear wild dogs close-by, so I bottled it.
5.
img4282 by HughieDW, on Flickr
6.
img4283 by HughieDW, on Flickr
7.
img4284 by HughieDW, on Flickr
An old map:
8.
img4296 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…and the symbol of Expo92 on an iron manhole cover:
9.
img4333 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The next point of interest was the old Monorail Terminus which is in a pretty sorry state:
10.
img4290 by HughieDW, on Flickr
11.
img4311 by HughieDW, on Flickr
12.
img4313 by HughieDW, on Flickr
13.
img4314 by HughieDW, on Flickr
14.
img4319 by HughieDW, on Flickr
15.
img4321 by HughieDW, on Flickr
16.
img4322 by HughieDW, on Flickr
17.
img4356 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Walkways outside the Auditorium:
18.
img4298 by HughieDW, on Flickr
19.
img4306 by HughieDW, on Flickr
20.
img4308 by HughieDW, on Flickr
21.
img4354 by HughieDW, on Flickr
22.
The elongated “Energy” pavilion. I couldn’t get near this as there was a lot of building work going on here:
img4299 by HughieDW, on Flickr
23.
img4357 by HughieDW, on Flickr
24.
img4300 by HughieDW, on Flickr
25.
img4343 by HughieDW, on Flickr
26.
img4302 by HughieDW, on Flickr
27.
img4305 by HughieDW, on Flickr
28.
img4342 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Satellite sculpture:
29.
img4303 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Next up is the “Palm Avenue” with its many water-features and the distinctive Biosphere:
30.
img4331 by HughieDW, on Flickr
31.
img4338 by HughieDW, on Flickr
32.
img4340 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Finally, it was on to the Guadalquivir Gardens:
33.
img4344 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…where the Banesto “Sky” Tower can be found:
34.
img4347 by HughieDW, on Flickr
35.
img4353 by HughieDW, on Flickr
36.
img4348 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Came across this place, the former Siemens building, at sunset on a later day but wished I’d discovered it earlier:
37.
img4890 by HughieDW, on Flickr
38.
img4892 by HughieDW, on Flickr
39.
img4893 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Finally, one of the many ‘sails’ towers around the edge of the site:
40.
img4895 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Seville has now hosted the Expo twice in its history. The first time was in 1929 when Plaza de Espana was built as the Pabellon de Andalucia. Sixty-three years later the Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo '92) took place in 1992 between April 20th and October 12th, on La Isla de La Cartuja. Subtitled "The Age of Discovery", over 100 countries participated on the 215-hectare site which saw over 41,000 visitors over a five-and-a-half-month period. Organized to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus (1492-1992), the expo was initially to be a jointly held event with Chicago, but the US city dropped out due to financial issues.
The Expo was ground-breaking in many ways. ‘Pavilions’ were at the heart of the Expo and included the ‘Royal Pavilion’ and five thematic pavilions; Navigation, Discovery, Nature, Environment, and the Fifteenth Century. To offset the costs of developing nations a special monumental structure, the 'Plaza de Americas', was constructed, consisting of a large enclosed Plaza-type building, to allow maximum participation from developing states from African. The hot summer temperatures were eased using a microfilter water air conditioning system which was used throughout the site, along the main avenues and streets. Visitors were sprayed with cool mist in various locations, and could make use of the numerous fountains and wading pools to cool off.
After the Expo, many of the Pavilions were dismantled, and today the site is divided between a research and development park called Cartuja 93 and a theme park called Isla Mágica, the 'Magic Island', which also hosts the popular Pavilion of Spain. However, many the buildings are still to find new uses and lie in a state of semi-abandonment or moth-balling.
2. The Explore
Had this list as soon as I’d booked the flights to Seville. It’s a massive site and you could quite easily spend a whole day searching things out. Think I managed to cover the lion’s share of the site but on reflection now, there were some bits I missed. Overall, an interesting and relaxed ‘explore’.
3. The Pictures
The first thing you see it the massive detailed copy of the Ariane rocket:
1.
img4291 by HughieDW, on Flickr
2.
img4310 by HughieDW, on Flickr
3.
img4328 by HughieDW, on Flickr
4.
img4329 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Next to it is the massive “Auditorium”. This was secure, but I did climb a bank and get under the fencing. However once under the fence it was clear wild dogs close-by, so I bottled it.
5.
img4282 by HughieDW, on Flickr
6.
img4283 by HughieDW, on Flickr
7.
img4284 by HughieDW, on Flickr
An old map:
8.
img4296 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…and the symbol of Expo92 on an iron manhole cover:
9.
img4333 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The next point of interest was the old Monorail Terminus which is in a pretty sorry state:
10.
img4290 by HughieDW, on Flickr
11.
img4311 by HughieDW, on Flickr
12.
img4313 by HughieDW, on Flickr
13.
img4314 by HughieDW, on Flickr
14.
img4319 by HughieDW, on Flickr
15.
img4321 by HughieDW, on Flickr
16.
img4322 by HughieDW, on Flickr
17.
img4356 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Walkways outside the Auditorium:
18.
img4298 by HughieDW, on Flickr
19.
img4306 by HughieDW, on Flickr
20.
img4308 by HughieDW, on Flickr
21.
img4354 by HughieDW, on Flickr
22.
The elongated “Energy” pavilion. I couldn’t get near this as there was a lot of building work going on here:
img4299 by HughieDW, on Flickr
23.
img4357 by HughieDW, on Flickr
24.
img4300 by HughieDW, on Flickr
25.
img4343 by HughieDW, on Flickr
26.
img4302 by HughieDW, on Flickr
27.
img4305 by HughieDW, on Flickr
28.
img4342 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Satellite sculpture:
29.
img4303 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Next up is the “Palm Avenue” with its many water-features and the distinctive Biosphere:
30.
img4331 by HughieDW, on Flickr
31.
img4338 by HughieDW, on Flickr
32.
img4340 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Finally, it was on to the Guadalquivir Gardens:
33.
img4344 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…where the Banesto “Sky” Tower can be found:
34.
img4347 by HughieDW, on Flickr
35.
img4353 by HughieDW, on Flickr
36.
img4348 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Came across this place, the former Siemens building, at sunset on a later day but wished I’d discovered it earlier:
37.
img4890 by HughieDW, on Flickr
38.
img4892 by HughieDW, on Flickr
39.
img4893 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Finally, one of the many ‘sails’ towers around the edge of the site:
40.
img4895 by HughieDW, on Flickr
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