A preview of Biber Architects' USA Pavilion design for Milan Expo 2015

Biber Architects of New York recently announced the groundbreaking of the USA Pavilion, "American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet", for the Milan World Expo in 2015. The US pavilion is one of 147 participating countries responding to the expo's theme, "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life", which addresses global issues regarding food security, access and waste, and the challenging prospect of nutritiously feeding 9 billion people by 2050.

Highlighting America's role in the global food system, the barn-inspired pavilion includes features like a a harvestable vertical farm, food trucks, and a boardwalk.

Check out images of the pavilion right below.

Project description:

"Organized by Friends of the USA Pavilion Milano 2015 – a collaboration between the James Beard Foundation and the International Culinary Center in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy – the pavilion was thoughtfully designed in response to the overall expo theme of food.

Designed in response to the closed box architecture of recent expos, the 2015 USA Pavilion is characterized by openness, transparency and accessibility with considerate references to American culture.

The pavilion opens its airplane hangar-sized door to the main pedestrian approach where visitors are greeted to a distinctly American, food-related image: the boardwalk. Made of recycled lumber from America’s boardwalks, the walkway rises from the ground level to the second floor, serving as the main forum for self-guided viewing and concealing a defined exhibition space below."

"On the top floor, a rooftop terrace will feature dimmable glass shade and energy generating panels and a translucent floor, playing host to nightly parties for the rooftop-craving Italian crowds while also catering to VIPs and diplomats.

The main architectural feature is a floating vertical farm running the length of one side of the pavilion. The hydroponic facade will feature a variety of harvestable crops, set into panels that will track the motion of the sun, which are sustained by a rainwater irrigation system."

"The wall is a 'didactic display talking about the past, present and future of the American farm and the American diet,' comments James Biber, founder and principal of Biber Architects.

With the pavilion doubling as a backdrop for interactive exhibits, state-of-the-art digital media and live performances, the farm will also become a dynamic spectacle where aerial performers will act out a harvest ballet. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pavilion, a perforated metal structure in rusted, galvanized and blued steel will create a subtle reference to Old Glory."

"According to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, 'The Milan World Expo of 2015 is a chance for us to share with the world the work that American scientists, chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers and fishermen all continue to do day in and day out and hopefully help people to understand the ways in which we can make progress in the future.'

One of the central programs of the USA Pavilion will be Food Truck Nation, a series of rotating food trucks that highlights America’s prolific street food culture while referencing the nation’s diversity, entrepreneurial spirit and fascination with the road."

To learn more about the USA Pavilion, click here.

All images © Biber Architects