Food and rural life inspire the ‘archistars’

The world’s best architects compete to please and surprise visitors.

The 1889 Paris Exposition had the Eiffel Tower; the Brussels World’s Fair a gigantic crystal of iron, the iconic “Atomium;” the Montreal Expo in 1967 featured West Germany’s hugely influential tent-like “tensile structure” pavilion.

Milan’s Expo 2015 will have barns and virtual wheat fields from the world’s most renowned architects. The Expo has challenged participating countries to use their abilities to create pavilions in line with its theme: food and sustainability.

The focus will not be on monumental structures, but on design-driven forms employing innovative ‘green’ technologies, reflecting ideas both from nature and from traditional construction techniques. The pavilions will be built with sustainable materials to allow recycling or rebuilding elsewhere at the end of the event.

Some of the most interesting projects come from emerging economies, where the food production theme is particularly felt. Thailand has unveiled a pavilion inspired by the traditional straw hats worn by farmers in its rice fields. Azerbaijan looks instead to the stunning biodiversity of the country, captured in three ‘bio-spheres’.

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