SoNo Arhitekti Pavilion to Represent Slovenia in Milan Expo 2015

“I FEEL SLOVENIA. Green. Active. Healthy.” This is the slogan on which Slovenia’s winning entry for the 2015 Milan Expo is based on. The proposals comes from SoNo Arhitekti, selected out of 142 other participants.The Expo is held every 5 years in various places throughout the world, and although the theme varies (the 2015 one is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”), it usually inclines towards an ecological approach.

The architects describe the building as “Five prismatic structures, positioned on the geometrically and dynamically designed surface, whose shape is reminiscent of a cultivated field, will represent Slovenian diverse geographical landscape and symbolize fundamental ideas of sustainable development.” The exhibition is a series of interactive architectural elements, such as the green walls with projections, which will guarantee the construction’s communication with its users.

The acute angles and sharp edges of the building create a somewhat rigid exterior, which is softened by the use of natural materials, such as the wood in the exterior structure, and the interior walls covered with plants. There is an imaginative play with light, created through glazing, perforations, and honey-comb structures which are filled with mirrors. The contrast of the building consists in its deconstructivist appearance, placed opposite its eco-concept. Out of the multitude of proposals for the Milan Expo 2015, this is one of the most ambitious ones, with a wide range of elements intelligently combined together.