YEOSU, South Jeolla Province ― The chief architect of the French Pavilion at the 2012 Yeosu World Expo said Saturday that the world is facing a serious freshwater shortage, and demand may soon outpace supply unless ways are found to replenish this vital natural resource.

“The concern is that within 50 years there will not be enough freshwater (supplies). Desalination is one of the solutions,” said David-Pierre Jalicon, the CEO of D.P.J. & Partners, Ltd. in an interview with The Korea Herald.

“France decided to use desalination as the theme of the pavilion and we wanted to do that with something very light, very playful. We did not want to give a lesson in terms of science,” Jalicon said.

So they developed a cartoon mascot, “Sogeumi,” to illustrate this theme. The name is also a playful reference to “salt” in Korean. 

According to Jalicon, the Seoul-based architecture firm, which specializes in design work for VIP clients such as Renault Samsung Motors and Cartier, spent about a year going back and forth with the French government to bring the concept to life.

But construction took just four months, thanks to his firm’s familiarity with Korean work processes and methods, he said.

The pavilion is divided into four distinct spaces, including “The Crystal Room,” “The Sea Orbiter,” “The Membrane,” and “The Cellular Garden.”

Its outer walls were designed to look like the nebulous cartoon mascot of the Expo.

At the entrance, hourglasses turn in tandem to demonstrate the urgency of the freshwater shortage, which Jalicon compared to a “countdown.”

And once inside, visitors can follow Sogeumi’s journey from its original sea environment to become desalinated water for a “dream garden.”

Visitors can also enjoy oddities such as robot fish swimming in tanks and crystal balls suspended from the ceiling that are supposed to mimic osmosis.

The French Pavilion differs from some of the others at the 2012 Yeosu World Expo because it was “not developed for tourism,” according to the French architect, who also serves as the chairman of the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Korea.

“Some of the other countries are not that well known in Korea. So for them, it’s very important to (raise) some awareness of their country,” he said.

But many Koreans are familiar with and have visited France, “so France did not have to make a pavilion which is kind of like a touristic information center,” the French architect said.

Instead, France was able to follow the main theme of the Expo, or sustainable ocean development, according to Jalicon.

France may not be as drastically affected by the freshwater shortage in the future, because it has more freshwater resources compared to other countries, Jalicon said.

But the nation wanted to show its neighborliness and consideration for others, he said.

“Even though it may not happen in our country we feel very concerned about the whole (freshwater shortage) situation,” Jalicon said.

By Renee Park  (renee@heraldcorp.com)