Bologna in Italy has worked out a detailed plan for its Expo 2010 exhibition, which will promise a sensory experience of different aspects of the city's life, from tradition to innovation and from historic architecture to the excellence of the social-economic system.

The 400-square-meter showcase at the Urban Best Practices Area will portray a 4,000-year-old city and its population via interactive props and projections, with content covering the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western world, among others.

The experience can be described as "an immersion in the city."

Front view of the case [expo2010.cn]

Top view of the case [expo2010.cn]

Side view of the case [expo2010.cn]

The winning concept "Infotainment City" was selected from 28 projects. It touches upon fields such as culture and creativity, technological innovation, human rights and social inclusion as well as urban and infrastructural transformations.

The display is divided into six sections - porticos, streets, towers, city gates, bicycles and squares.

The city gate [expo2010.cn]

The square [expo2010.cn]

The "portico" part will consist of a series of columns covered with monitors that alternate photographic images of Bolognese columns (virtually recreating surfaces and colors) with videos and films that illustrate the outstanding features of the city. Meanwhile, visitors will feel as if they are walking through Bologna with voices, noises, sounds and music.

The "streets" section will allow visitors to experience the typical mediaeval streets of Bologna through video projections.

At the "tower" section, LCD screens projecting images of the facades of Bolognese towers will be featured.

The "city gate" represents a virtual threshold between two cities, Bologna and Shanghai. Webcams placed in the two cities will transmit real-time images of both cities to their people.

A row of bicycles will be presented in front of a monitor, which shows a video of a journey through the streets of central Bologna. The interactive video can be adjusted by visitors pedaling at different speeds, which will accelerate or slow down the scene.

The "square" will provide a cozy place for meeting and social inclusion, which will involve video and images projections of the city.

(en.expo2010.cn)