EMBT: italian pavilion proposal for world expo milan 2015

‘tree of life’ by miralles tagliabue EMBT for the italian pavilion at the 2015 milano world expo, milan italyimage © miralles tagliabue EMBT

catalonian and italian architects enric miralles and benedetta tagliabue of EMBT take the position of runner up for their ‘tree of life’ pavilion concept for the 2015 milano world expo. the site and pavilion building are in themselves representations of the italian culture; the landscaping is made from stitched images of real italian countrysides from all over the country, and the interior is designed to display a constantly changing exhibit that highlights the various details of italian life. the tree and the dome become the two most important symbols in the pavilion, both exemplifying two of the country’s most significant contributions to the world.

tree branches emerge from the roof of the structureimage © miralles tagliabue EMBT

from the pantheon to brunelleschi to nervi, the dome almost seems to document an evolution throughout italian history, while the idealic landscapes that vary from the mountains to the beaches are amongst some of the most widely recognized. both are poetically integrated as a network of structural members that make up an abstracted root system shape the large interior cupola whose structural members thin out as they grow out of the pavilion’s envelope and again blossom into open-air branches creating a powerful visual symbol.

elevationimage © miralles tagliabue EMBT

the reticulated construction creates the ideal environment in which to display plants and trees within the large central space. the construction is designed with its dismantle in mind, where easily-transportable pieces can be re-assembled for other uses anywhere in the country, leaving behind the multi-functional dome in milan. the idea of a kaleidoscope also comes into play as an object of beauty that constantly changes. the swiveling exterior geometric tiles create this same effect, with the interior dome representing the inside of a kaleidoscope, lit by one source at the opposite end from the viewer and metaphorically depicts italy as a constantly changing and evolving state.

pantheon-like construction alludes to historical italian designsimage © miralles tagliabue EMBT