CHINA CITY PAVILION
Sino-Italian Center - Expo 2015
China City Pavilion is the only officially endorsed pavilion in the centre of Milan and a logistic support to the three Chinese pavilions at the Expo 2015 site. Thanks to the strategic location both in terms of visibility and accessibility, in piazza Duca d’Aosta opposite to the central station, the pavilion acts as a prestigious showcase, a meeting area and place of exchange.
The dynamic geometry of a heron’s wing provides the rules of composition for this structure. Lightness, order and balance are the guiding principles. An open plan, a pure volume made of glass, an outdoor space inspired by the atrium of a Roman house underscored by a powerfully graphic portico. It all adds up to a summary of the very concept of ‘pavilion’.
The pavilion is designed to be itinerant: dismountable, adaptable and easy to re-use. It embodies ideals of modernity and sustainability. The structure becomes a house shared by two cultures, a contemporary showcase for the best of China and Italy. The wide portico, with its pagoda-style roof in laminated plywood, protects and delineates the glass volume which contains three distinct zones: a showroom, an institutional living space and a food and beverage area with an external patio.
PROJECT
Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, Claudio Saverino and Tiziano Vudafieri
DESIGN TEAM
Elisa Zhu
Alessandro Pregnolato (render)
PHOTO
Santi Caleca
VIDEO
Luca Ruali