Singapore's participation in the World Expo 2010 was its largest to date at the World Expo, signifying its strong and close bilateral ties with China. The Singapore pavilion showcased Singapore's achievements in urban planning, water technology and environmental services while promoting closer people-to-people relations between China and Singapore. The pavilion also highlighted Singapore's ability to offer a high-quality and integrated environment to live, work and play within a compact area through sustainable planning and development. Singapore pavilion The Singapore pavilion was designed to resemble a "music box", whose sound could be heard by visitors even before they entered. Its exhibition sections of different shapes were linked by gentle slopes and stairs. It integrated different design elements - music fountain, audio visual interplay and distinctive flowers on the roof garden, manifesting the harmony between cities and nature, as well as Singapore's originality and diverse cultures. Four columns of varying sizes supported its structural system and floors above, symbolising Singapore’s races living, working and playing together on the same ground. Ramps and stairs suspended off trusses led to the upper floors. Theme The theme Urban Symphony () was inspired by the harmony of unique elements in Singapore: Progress and sustainability, urbanisation and greenery, tradition and modernity and the different races living in harmony together. The two environmental areas that Singapore has successfully made headway with in balancing progress with sustainability – water and garden – formed the softscape of the pavilion as its two design elements. Design The ground floor of the pavilion showcased projected images, live theatre performances and activities within the atrium space and main hall. Singapore exhibits were also displayed along the ramp up to the next floor. A 600sqm column-free second floor hosted an amphitheatre screening videos of Singapore to reveal lesser known aspects beyond its economic success, such as its creativity, cultural diversity and natural beauty. There 'A Garden in the Sky' – a roof-top garden of tropical flora landscaped to re-capture the essence and the beauty of living in a garden city. Urban Symphony aimed to articulate Singapore’s rhythm and beat through the Pavilion’s architecture of water fountain movements, window and sunshade fins layouts on the façade, interplay of sounds and visuals on different levels and a mélange of flora on the roof garden. In line with the theme of sustainability, recyclable materials such as aluminum and steel were used for the facade and structural framework,