Expo Milano 2015 features exhibits and national pavilions from 147 participating countries around the official theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” Each country is trying to outshine others at this world fair. While Italy used air-purifying cement for its palazzo, the UK put up a beehive structure that is straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Though US pavilion is not an architectural extravaganza, it’s still first of its kind.
The US pavilion features an incredible vertical farm of harvestable crops. The pavilion aims to showcase the United States as a culinary nation beyond KFC or McDonalds.
The Pavilion was designed by James Biber of Biber Architects. The pavilion’s message is “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the People” to find strategies and solutions for revolutionizing the food system to nourish a growing world population. The focus is on innovations in the farm-to-table food model and sustainable production.
The 7,200 square foot vertical farm is wrapped with 42 varieties of harvestable crops.
The vertical farm has been planted with a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, and herbs. The plants are grown in hydroponic planters on louvers that can open and close like shutters.
The pavilion is constructed of sustainably sourced materials. The doors and floors are made of reclaimed Coney Island boardwalk wood. Most of the material used for the pavilion will be repurposed after the fair is over.
