Expo: Italy Pavilion

Palazzo Italia is inspired by a natural architecture in which the branched weave of the external “skin” of the building generates alternations of light and shadow and solids and voids, creating a scenario that refers to works of Land Art.

The external skin of the building evokes the artistic concept of the competition – Italy Nursery, created by Marco Balich – through the image of a petrified forest.

The architecture of the Palazzo Italia takes shape as a community gathered around its square; it is the inner square that gives shape to the building, which is structured according to four blocks connected by bridges. The four blocks host the Exhibition area (West block), the Auditorium-Events area (South block), the Offices area (North block) and the Conference-Meeting rooms (East block).

The exhibition itinerary starts from the inner square. Palazzo Italia provides event space on the ground floor and exhibition, conference and meeting spaces on the other levels, including restaurant spaces on the fourth level, and a rooftop terrace.

In terms of its location and architecture, Palazzo Italia will be a landmark within the Expo site and one of the few permanent buildings post-Expo. The volumetric articulation of the Cardo buildings is based on the idea of the Italian village, consisting of juxtaposed volumes in small squares, terraces and porticoes. The Cardo buildings will include European Union spaces, exhibition spaces, restaurant spaces and event terraces.

Italy Pavilion, Expo 2015, Milano
Architects: Nemesi&Partners
Engineering: Proger and BMS Projects
Sustainability: Livio De Santoli