The UK pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010, also known as the Seed Cathedral, designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Photo by Graham Carlow.

The design referenced the race to save seeds from round the world in banks, and housed 60,000 plant seeds at the end of acrylic rods, held in place by geometrically-cut holes with the rods inserted therein. The structure stood where it was built, at a cost of £25 million, in Shanghai for the 2010 World Expo and won the BIE gold award for best pavilion design.

The cathedral’s architecture was an elaboration of Heatherwick’s 2003 work of the Sitooterie II in Essex, United Kingdom.

The UK Pavilion catered to over seven million general public visitors during the 6 months of Expo.

The cathedral has now been dismantled, with some rods donated to schools, some donated to the World Expo Museum and some being auctioned for charity.