The Expo Axis, the landmark structure of 2010 Shanghai World Expo, will be turned into an emporium at the cost of 160 million yuan ($25.02 million), according to the project's operators on Thursday.

The one-kilometer-long Expo Axis, standing in the center route in the Expo site as the main entrance of the site, will provide a commerce area of 130,000 square meters after it is transformed into business center, said Ding Shao, president of EXPO Shanghai Group.

The project, jointly conducted by EXPO Shanghai Group and Shanghai Bailian Group, is expected to reach an annual turnover of 3 billion yuan ($469 million).

It is also the curtain call of a string of transformations of the infrastructure of the Shanghai Expo that includes the Expo Cultural Center, the Expo Center, the China pavilion and the Theme pavilion.

Ding said some popular pavilions, such as the Saudi Pavilion, will reopen in October, while the Italian Pavilion and Luxembourg Pavilion are scheduled to welcome the public in March 2012.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2011)