Firm： SCHMIDHUBER

Type： Commercial › Exhibition Center

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2015

Photos： keller-fotografie.de (6), Alexander Breier (2)

“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” is the theme for Expo 2015. The German pavilion clearly orients itself to this leitmotif – under the “Fields of Ideas” motto. Germany reveals itself as a vibrant, fertile “landscape” filled with ideas on future human nutrition. The pavilion vividly illustrates just how important dealing respectfully with nature is to our ongoing food supply, while inviting visitors to take action themselves.

Visitors can discover the “Fields of Ideas” along two different routes. They can either stroll along the pavilion’s freely accessible upper level, which invites them to relax and enjoy. Or they can explore the exhibition inside the pavilion, which addresses such topics as the sources of nutrition, through to food production and consumption in the urban world.

The central design element of the pavilion are expressive membrane-covered shelters in the shape of sprouting plants: the “Idea Seedlings.” Their construction and bionic design vocabulary are inspired by nature. The Idea Seedlings link the interior and exterior spaces, a blend of architecture and exhibition, and at the same time provide shade for visitors in the hot Italian summer.

By integrating cutting-edge organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, the seedlings become Solar Trees. The German Pavilion is the first large international architecture project to use these innovative new products. In contrast with a project using conventional solar modules, the German Pavilion architects had the opportunity to do more than just incorporate existing technology. They had free rein to design the flexible, OPV membrane modules to match their own creative ideas, and to integrate them into the overall design of the pavilion.

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Overall responsibility:

German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, Bonn

Management company:

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

Design, planning, realization:

German Pavilion Expo Milano 2015 Consortium

Spatial concept, architecture, general planning:

SCHMIDHUBER, Munich

Content concept, exhibition, media:

Milla & Partner, Stuttgart

Project management and construction:

Nüssli, Roth