Nine Gorgeous Pavilions Expo Milano 2015 vs.Expo Shanghai 2010

by+Gong+Haiying

Every World Expo is a Gala for gorgeous pavilions. Starting with the Crystal Palace at the first World Expo in 1851， followed by the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Expo in 1889 to the Atom Tower at the Brussels Expo in 1958， pavilions of World Expos have always featured pioneering and experimental elements while showcasing the cultures of various countries and ethnic groups.

Expo Milano 2015 is the comprehensive international exposition following Expo Shanghai in 2010. A total of 148 participat- ing countries and international organizations carefully designed respective pavilions， baking a visual feast for visitors from all over the world.

After the expo had been running for one month， China Pictorial selected nine pavilions which had attracted the most attention. While analyzing how they echo this expos central theme of “Feeding the Planet， Energy for Life，” we also compare the pavilions to their counterparts five years ago in Shanghai in hopes of catching a special angle of the similarities and differences across time and space.

Italy Pavilion

Theme： Nursery of Italy

The Italy Pavilions architecture， with its casing and volumetric joints， resembles an urban forest of branches. The concept of the tree is revisited， with a crowning glass canopy composed of solar panels. The building-tree offers an indoor exhibition route， a journey of discovery on all four levels of the exhibition area， which leads up to a rooftop terrace. The cement is photocatalytic： With the power of sunlight， it catches air pollutants and converts them into inert salts， and the mortar is composed of 80 percent recycled aggregates.

Germany Pavilion

Theme： Fields of Ideas

Visitors can explore the “Fields of Ideas” in two different ways. On the first route， they can stroll freely around the accessible landscape level， which invites visitors to linger as they would in a public park. The second route leads visitors through the thematic exhibition.

A show in the Germany Pavilion， “Be（e） active”， is the big finale of the exhibition. Visitors take on the role of an orchestra and experience the German world of nutrition from the perspective of flying bees.

UK Pavilion

Theme： Grown in Britain： Shared Globally

The design of UK Pavilion is inspired by the unique role that hives play in our ecosystem. Using advanced technologies， a virtual beehive exhibits hives plight， exploring both the parallels and intrinsic relationship between bees and humans including the current decline in the honeybee population and its significance in food production.