Growing for the World

Speech’s design for the Russian Pavilion at Expo pays tribute to the tradition of the pavilions built by the country from the end of the 1800 combined with contemporary innovations.

Studio Speech, Padiglione Russo, Crescere per il mondo. Coltivare per il futuro, Expo Milano 2015. Photo Roland Halbe
“The pavilion we aspired to for Expo 2015 had to satisfy two requirements: to represent faithfully an immense country like Russia and to reflect appropriately the theme of the event ‘Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life’.
My colleagues and I, Alexei Ilyin and Marina Kuznetskaya of the SPEECH Architectural Office, wanted to honour the tradition of our past pavilions which since the London Expo of 1851 have been specifically designed for each occasion by the most important Russian architects of each period. All those Russian pavilions of the past have found a place in the history of architecture as unique masterpieces — united by their dynamism, simplicity and impressive structural features at the main entrances.
Studio Speech, Padiglione Russo, Crescere per il mondo. Coltivare per il futuro, Expo Milano 2015. Photo Roland Halbe
Studio Speech, Russian Pavilion, Growing for the World. Cultivating for the Future, Expo Milano 2015. Photo Roland Halbe

Our aim was to create an unforgettable combination between innovative and technological structures. The uneven surface, the ‘L’ shaped plot and the surrounding self-built pavilions of other countries limited our plan but at the same time inspired us to concentrate on the main facade. Another significant restraint was the height set by the Expo organisers, which did not allow constructions higher than 12 metres, with the exception of one protracted point 17 metres high.

Therefore in order to avail of the whole 3,260 sqm assigned to our pavilion we tried to study a parallelepiped form that surges skywards, with a long flat roof that gently rises covering the pedestrian area and the main entrance. This roof is almost 30 metres long and is convex shaped, and it can easily be distinguished by its silhouette within the Expo 2015 grounds.

Completely covered in stainless steel, during the day it will shade visitors from the sun and at night it will reflect the illuminations from the surrounding lighting. It provides a huge interactive attraction as visitors can take photos of themselves as if they are looking at a reflection in a mirror. Wood is the main identifying element of the pavilion, being both ecological and traditional. The building’s upper floor is completely covered in wood while the walls of the ground level are in glass, a friendly boundary between the inside and outside of the structure.

Studio Speech, Padiglione Russo, Crescere per il mondo. Coltivare per il futuro, Expo Milano 2015. Photo Roland Halbe
Studio Speech, Russian Pavilion, Growing for the World. Cultivating for the Future, Expo Milano 2015. Photo Roland Halbe

The pavilion is straightforward to erect, as all the wood, glass and metal components are ready and can be easily assembled on a frame. Wood is the dominant element inside the structure: it is present in the reception area, in the furniture and in the finishing features. For us the pavilion should be not just an authentic representation of our country but also an engaging space that facilitates socializing and that is capable of captivating the attention of visitors. For this reason the roof is also a terrace from where visitors can enjoy a view of the whole exhibition.

The rear side of the structure blends harmoniously with the rest of the exhibition, its silhouette evokes the boundless landscapes of Russia, scattered with hills, valleys and steep slopes. The pavilion’s theme is food security, a serious topic that is directly connected to the problem of sustainability and availability of resources. We therefore tried to create a minimalist pavilion that would be elegant and stunning but also cost-effective to build. Having said this, and despite the fact that the structure appears very simple, the roof terrace creates an innovative and interesting solution and the state-of-the-art plastic principles that facilitated the use of wood, all are built on centuries of tradition in Russian architecture.” Sergej Tchoban


Russian Pavilion, Growing for the World. Cultivating for the Future, Expo Milano 2015, Expo Milano 2015
Architects: Studio Speech (Sergej Tchoban, Alexey Ilyin and Marina Kuznetskaya)
Area: 3,200 sqm
Completion: 2015

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